Emily Shedlock

Let Me Live Before I Die (Sam)

acrylic on canvas

30″ x 24″ x 1.5″

2025

$5,000

At first glance, the two women appear to be in a typical hair salon. However, upon closer look, you’ll find that surgical scissors replace what would be hair shears, a Polaroid strip features a sonogram and the cord of a hair straightener looks eerily similar to an umbilical cord. As reproductive rights are currently under attack in our country, there is an immediate need for alternative ways of communication between those who are most vulnerable. Using symbolism and allegory, Shedlock creates an alternative realm where we can expose our true selves without the fear of interrogation, shame, or harm.

@emily_shedlock