Lady Justice – Oil & Pencil on Wood by Courtney Hodgson
“Lady Justice” reimagines a timeless symbol through the lens of lived resistance. Created with oil and pencil on wood, the work merges delicate line with rich painterly textures to honour Khumo Maake, the young activist who embodied courage and transformation during the Women For Change march against gender-based violence.
Traditionally, Lady Justice is blindfolded — an emblem of impartiality. In this portrait, the eyes remain open, uncompromising, unflinching. The lifted red veil becomes a declaration: no injustice will be ignored, no voice silenced. The natural grain of the wooden surface grounds the work, rooting the figure in both history and place, while the pencil marks add immediacy — as though sketched from the urgency of the streets.
At nineteen, Khumo stood boldly at the heart of protest, her presence echoing the strength of generations before her and the resolve of those yet to come. This Lady Justice is not frozen in myth; she is alive, bearing witness, and moving us toward a more just future.
No reviews found
