Poking the Bear

This original bear illustration is a visceral expression of rage, protection, and survival. Roaring against a bright red gouache background, the bear becomes a force of uncontained anger: not softened, not explained away, and not made more palatable. Encircled by thorny roses, the piece holds both beauty and threat, tenderness and defense. Created in response to the ongoing harm done to children and the ways survivors are often expected to swallow their anger, this work explores rage as something sacred, necessary, and deeply human. It reflects the experience of having anger dismissed, especially as a woman, and the damage caused when pain is pushed aside instead of witnessed. The thorned roses frame the bear like a protective boundary, symbolizing both vulnerability and resistance. This piece asks what it means to let rage speak after a lifetime of being told it is too much, too ugly, or too dangerous. A powerful piece for anyone drawn to feminist art, survivor-centered work, animal symbolism, protective rage, and artwork that refuses to look away.