Sowing a More Perfect Union

Sowing a More Perfect Union reimagines the opening words of the U.S. Constitution as a living, growing entity. Constructed from grains and seed materials that sustain life and symbolize potential, each letter of the phrase We the People becomes a field of cultural richness. Every canvas carries patterns drawn from the visual languages of communities that have shaped America, from Native nations and African American traditions to immigrant cultures from across the globe.

This work honors the idea that democracy, like a garden, must be cultivated. The seeds represent both our shared origins and our diverse growth; their arrangement into bold letters suggests that unity is possible only when every element is valued. The piece also confronts the fragility of that unity. In this moment, the meaning of We the People is contested in debates over voting rights, immigration, bodily autonomy, and equal protection. Just as an untended field can wither, democracy too can falter if we fail to nurture it.

By embedding cultural patterns into each letter, the work insists that the “we” in We the People must be inclusive, unqualified, and alive to change. The use of seeds is both a metaphor and invitational reminder that the work of building a more perfect union is ongoing, requiring constant care, and the willingness to plant, tend, and grow together.