All Quotes

"Okschini says she only became interested in Chuvash when her son was born and she decided to speak with him only in her native language and also when she got involved in making jewelry. She says she has incorporated Chuvash elements in her work and that has made her even more proud of her nationality and language. As a result of her interest in Chuvash, she has been reconciled with her older relatives and that in turn has intensified her interest in and desire to express herself via the Chuvash language and through the use of Chuvash symbols. She and her mother have even appeared together in Chuvash festivals."

"Because of unprecedented increases in , the structure has been transformed. Linkages among family members have been prolonged, and the surviving generations in a family have increased in number and complexity. Today's kinship structure (which has no parallel in history) can be viewed in a new way: as a latent web of continually shifting linkages that provide the potential for activating and intensifying close family relationships. These relationships are no longer prescribed as strict obligations, but must be earned—created and recreated by family members over their lives. Such changes in the structure and dynamics of family relationships raise many questions and issues for students of the family including the development of special research approaches needed to understand the complexity of these relationships and the nature of older people's family relationships in the future."

"Parents who believed in the value of "getting ahead" started to apply pressure from the beginning of the school career."

"Remember that, as a sociologist, your focus is on social interaction—i.e., not on the biological or psychological processes of the actors, but on their and expression to each other of their underlying orientation, feelings, and attitudes."

"Interviewing individual group members separately affords privacy and encourages all members to answer. Respondents may be more frank if that others in the group will not hear what they say (thereby removing the possibility of group sanctions). This may be the best way of obtaining responses from individuals with lower positions (younger, lower , e.g.) in the group, who might be intimidated by a group interview situation."

"In 1979 at the age of 68, Matilda embarked on a 20-year career at the (NIA) of the (NIH). The NIA’s founding director, , and the NIH Director, , invited Matilda to establish the NIA’s granting program on Social and Behavioral Research (SBR) as well as to guide the expansion and integration of these disciplines throughout the NIH. During her first year at the NIA, she and Kathleen Bond (one of her former graduate students) developed and implemented a multidisciplinary vision for research on aging that integrated the aging of individuals into societal structures. This program emphasized the influence of social structures on the lives of individuals (Matilda exclaimed often, “People don’t grow up and grow old in laboratories—they grow up and grow old in changing societies.”) and the lives of individuals on social structures. This vision extended to the biological sciences, for Matilda recognized the need for a biopsychosocial understanding. The publication of this blueprint as a NIH program announcement set the course of NIA’s program and influences its direction even to this day."

"Possibly overshadowed by Matilda’s many public accomplishments is her service as a teacher and mentor at and , and the dedication and accomplishments of some of her students and menses to the study of aging and the life course, especially Anne Foner, Marilyn Johnson, and Kathleen Bond. She built a modern sociology-anthropology department at and was named the Daniel B. Fayerweather Professor of Political Economy and Sociology in 1975; in 1996 the building housing the department was named in her honor, and she received honorary doctoral degrees from (1972), Rutgers (1983), (1994), and the (1997)."

"I’ve come to experience art like a séance. Over time you can meld minds with artists: you laugh and feel their humor, or you are shocked by their sadness and grief. The main thing that comes across in Bellini’s paintings is the awesome potency and profound depth of feeling that made them. I’ve spent a good deal of my life looking at paintings, and what stands out to me is that, no matter when the painters lived, there are a lot of similarities among them. The work carries markers of the artist’s inner life—be it Carroll Dunham’s or Giovanni Bellini’s—for us to connect to. I find that humanity in art very appealing because it just cuts away all the layers of academia. Scholarship can buoy understanding in some ways but after a point can also drag you down, away from the art. Since contemporary artists are not hired by, say, the Vatican, we have the freedom to ask ourselves what we believe in and then to assert that belief. It’s actually a powerful liberty to own, and especially nice in our time when there are so many women’s voices in the mix."

"The best paintings of depositions, crucifixions and entombments are images that are familiar if you’ve ever buried someone you love. Just today, I saw an image in the New York Daily News of the brother of Moises Locón Yac, who was killed in the explosion on Second Avenue on March 26, collapsing in the arms of a Red Cross worker. You see the same configuration in paintings of Mary Magdalene mourning Christ. I remember things through great pictures. When I look at Renaissance masterpieces I recall scenes like the one on Second Avenue—the profound grief of families realizing that their loved ones have been killed."

"Painters have always had to believe in formal language. It just didn’t used to be called into question as much as it is now. It is a belief that pictures can be formally coded and tell a story, and that viewers will understand that code even if they are not painters themselves. In contemporary art the language of painting is like a dialect of ancient Greek—most people just don’t understand it. Furthermore I don’t know how many people are willing to relax and let the meaning of the painting unfold, but I like to think they will feel the power of the form, almost unconsciously, whether they want to or not."

"The interesting thing about Hippies is how those male figures jump out from behind the central woman, and the painting did that to me—in the process of making it, the men said, “Ta-da!” They came out of the work. And I had to ask myself where to take it next. I think that Hippies should have come after the portraits it was shown with at David Zwirner this spring, but it didn’t, it came first. I decided to make six to eight portraits of incubi and succubae using the structural idea of a grisaille painting with a flourish of what is called cangiantismo, a sort of spectral color-wheel effect that contrasts the grays. In the 16th century the Italian viewer understood it as a signal that the supernatural had arrived."

"I’ve done grisaille paintings with flashes of intense color over the years. One painting like that would surface as an isolated element in a body of work every now and then. When Hippies appeared I wanted to see what would happen if I just stayed with it and didn’t let up. I really didn’t know where I was going, but at some point the art critic Christian Viveros-Fauné came to my studio and said it reminded him of the “Bad Babies” series [1991-92]. Both groups of paintings personify color. I remember looking at my palette table and telling Christian, “I just want to make this come alive.” It’s such a stupid idea, and yet I think that is what I did. I just had to keep believing in it. When things went wrong, when they veered off course, I would tell myself to just trust the process."

"So much of my work is about doing the very obvious. Making art is like finding your Excalibur, the sword in the stone. It’s right there and others can tug and tug, but you have to be Arthur to pull it out. Anyone can decide, intellectually, to make paintings where “colors come alive as characters”—but try to do it! Few people can pull it off. You have to have lived your life in a certain way, and have believed all along that that is possible, in order to make it work."

"The opposition of today can’t be like the opposition of yesterday"

"That was partly why I made the “Bad Habits” sculptures in 1995. In going from painting to painting I was “recasting” my characters every time. I had to get to know them one by one and understand what they mean. I realized through Fassbinder that it would be interesting to have your blonde—your Hanna Schygulla—as one person in an ensemble of actors who each play a range of characters. The range should be small—you can’t make people be something they’re not. Fassbinder was aware of how to use everyone’s qualities. Their fading looks, like Fassbinder’s own physical deterioration, became his material. They all had to be very smart and not vain to allow this to happen. Fassbinder’s actors came from the theater and theater is close to sculpture, so perhaps they had an awareness of the sculptural properties of their bodies."

"I arranged the “Bad Habits” figurines into groups, which I studied to make the paintings. I was thinking about how Tintoretto made wax figures to illuminate scenes and understand complicated lighting. “Bad Habits” is about light. To keep my focus on that aspect of the work, I didn’t want to have to keep reinventing characters. I could have kept working on that series forever but I made myself stop. I realized that as an artist I was about more than that, so I forced myself to move on."

"One of the ideas about art that was gaining momentum when I was student, which I heard but didn’t take seriously, was that psychology has no place in painting. And so, as a 19-year-old, I responded by putting it back there, boldly and for no good fucking reason."

"Cool kids always think their shit doesn’t stink, but Fassbinder reminds us that our shit does stink, and on top of that it’s rotten, and it’s OK to admit that. We’re all human. I’m interested in formal language and emotional content—formalism and feelings have a perfect marriage, if you can handle it. Looking back, I realize how much of the work was led by a rather dry and clear process and yet the results are anything but dry. I set a path and let the weirdness and eccentric stuff come up on its own; all that content just found a place out of the orderly way I had set up the process."

"I love Solzhenitsyn’s writing for his insights into morality and humanity, and today I came across a quote from The Gulag Archipelago: “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” I love that idea. If you think of yourself as “good,” you should think about how easily you could be evil under different circumstances. It’s important to embrace the range and try to comprehend it. Philip Guston said something similar when he talked about imagining himself like Isaac Babel, who wrote about riding around with the Red Army during the Polish-Soviet War, witnessing rape, pillage and killing. Guston was able to envision himself not only through the lens of the Italian painters he adored, but through the hooded figures of Ku Klux Klan. He recognized that the enemy lies within."

"Misogyny. There is no exact parallel to the story. I didn’t read a great writer like Babel who contextualized it for me. What I learned from Guston is that if you point the finger at yourself first, then you are freer. Misogyny is so rampant, extreme and insidious that it doesn’t get called out nearly enough. A lot of men, including gay men, are misogynists, and a lot of women are too. I’ve experienced it personally from so many, and I can therefore assume that because I live in this society I must have absorbed it too, so if I want to talk about misogyny I have to first acknowledge the aspects of it I’ve absorbed. I’m not the kind of person or artist, nor do I admire the kind of person or artist, who proselytizes, pontificates or points outward at others. I admire Guston and Diane Arbus and Fassbinder because they show a myriad of internal conflicts. That’s what art is—a struggle filtered through the self. That is how it becomes generous."

"I often wish I could go to my studio and paint all the time, but I can’t. I often feel disconnected, as if I’m waiting for instructions. It’s absolute torture. The first third of the time it took to make these recent paintings was spent going in every day but ending up with nothing. Then, slowly, something started to happen."

"There are great Caravaggios in San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome—the Saint Matthew cycle. The first painting, on the left of the small chapel, is The Calling of Saint Matthew. Jesus points at Matthew, who sits across from him with his head down. Matthew is the only one who isn’t looking at Jesus. On the opposite wall, on the right side of the chapel, hangs the third painting that shows the end of the narrative, Matthew’s martyrdom: Matthew lies on the ground and some guy with a sword is standing over him, just about to murder him. Imagine how you’d feel in that moment! I stared at the painting for so long, fascinated by how everyone is freaking out except for Matthew, who is reaching up. What is he looking at? It’s an angel leaning over a cloud and extending a palm, as if holding a stick to a drowning man. You realize that Matthew is a man who lived and died with belief in eternal salvation, which is why he’s being murdered—he’s dying for his beliefs. It’s interesting that Caravaggio depicts him seeing his salvation. Everyone else sees horror and chaos, but Matthew sees an angel extending a palm. In this painting you witness him becoming something."

"So, to answer your question, when I think of being an artist, I think of the central painting, between those two, showing Saint Matthew as an old man taking dictation from an angel, doing divine work on earth. The man depicted in the painting is a nincompoop and the angel is impatiently counting on his fingers, as if Matthew isn’t keeping up. It’s so funny: that’s Caravaggio’s wit. The Passion of Saint Matthew is one of the most beautiful testaments we have, but here he is shown as a very ordinary man. I believe Caravaggio related to Matthew because of how beautifully this story is depicted, with so much feeling and sensitivity. The three paintings show the utter transformation of a man over time."

"Ever since we were at Yale together, John Currin has said he admires my ability to believe. I remember once in a critique of my work, my teacher William Bailey was furious that it didn’t have enough “fiction building.” He quoted Magritte: “Ceci n’est pas une pipe, Lisa!” I said, “But I want the paintings to be real!” To which he snapped, “Well, that’s not a good goal.” John was at that critique, and he jumped in, saying: “I actually think it’s amazing she thinks they’re real!”"

"It was a very important argument for me, because I understood that there is an orthodox way of looking at things: “This is a representation. This is not a pipe, it’s a painting. It’s not real,” which feels pretty obvious and rather dull at this point. There was this other possibility that seemed juicier and more fucked up and hopeful. And I did have to come to a synthetic approach to making, but once I could do that, I could also believe in painting again, and make it real again. I’ve taken it to that next step, and my gamble is to succeed or fail at that."

"As the days pass and the seasons change, the sky, earth, mountains and rivers repeat in patterns that are never really quite the same. In my search for the variations of the many faces in nature, I have found that nature provides an infinite source of inspiration for artistic expression,”"

"To grow the love of nature globally amongst the local and international art communities and to call attention to our need to preserve our earth,"

"I have found painting in water media – acrylic demands an absolute control of the medium to achieve the various effects, textures, and transparencies.The scale of the painting is a challenge, but not a limitation for me. To produce on canvas or paper what I have in my mind, my ideas and feelings on the universe, is a great challenge"

"To believe in yourself and know who you are when others don't believe in you is the greatest accomplishment; to never give up, to never quit, to have faith and stand your ground. Never change who you are. Love yourself because you have already made it and you are... Somebody."

"My work explores the passing of time and the tension between the human longing for reassuring repetition and — at the same time — change. I am particularly interested in our human ability to see what we expect to see, to misinterpret, to see a partial picture as the whole, to disregard incremental change, or to completely overlook the significant."

"My current artwork uses the lines and patterns from daily weather maps and images of weather — rain, snow, clouds, hail — as visual metaphors for these ideas. It explores the constancy, variation, and violence hidden within the familiar, reassuring seasonal cycle. I also use images of oceans — stormy, placid, or dramatic — as visual reflections of human moods and emotions."

"Like a human life, my artwork is multi-layered, complex, and develops over time. Color, texture, humor, and the physical joy of applying paint and cutting relief prints are important in the creation of my work. In the process of creating a piece, I begin working on an idea with a loosely drawn skeleton. I add layers of paint and drawing, building up layers of meanings and emphasis to create a finished piece that is dense with meaning."

"My installations, which are constructed with relief-printed images on paper applied to walls, floors, and ceilings, surround the viewers with visual representations of change, movement, and repetition. They directly address change and the passage of time by surrounding the viewer with moving storms, slow drips, changing clouds, and moving hail, snow, wind, and rain."

"I felt so privileged to be able to wear my country across my heart and to take people on a journey through our diversity and resilience. It was just an honour for me to have that opportunity"

"I definitely worked hard and expected more for myself but the journey does not stop there and it is now up to me to continue the legacy that has been created"

"It was quite difficult balancing my studies and the competition because I was in my penultimate year of my Law studies so I took some time off to focus on Miss South Africa because on its own it is a full-time job that requires all your attention. I had explained it to my lecturers and they understood and helped me finish the rest of my studies"

"I wanted first to prioritise my education and the purpose I had set out for myself which was to become a lawyer. By the time I entered again, I knew the power of what it takes to be a Miss South Africa and the importance of having a voice of relevance"

"Being in the Faculty of Law, one of the best in the country, there was so much support and help to learn both theoretically and practically. When I finished studying, while chatting to colleagues in the industry, I realised just how privileged we are to study at UJ"

"You may not be successful the first or second time around but if you believe in something, it is so important to never let go of that belief. Sometimes it may not be the right time but if you give up on yourself you won’t realise that. Don’t be afraid to fail, have hope, reevaluate yourself, and try again. If it is for you, it will find you at the right time. This is not just about following your dream but also choosing something to study and following the course"

"As a lawyer I am passionate about empowering women and I have seen how effective our law in South Africa is when it comes to the constitution. I wanted to start an initiative that helps women because they are the most vulnerable group of people in our society and need the most protection. Her Way Out is an initiative that allows women to find their way out. It is specifically targeted at empowering women in their legal rights and helping them to find platforms to better themselves. I’ve partnered with a legal firm and we have been working with Gender Based Violence victims in the courts, and working with women-led initiatives to help them"

"I am incredibly excited and honoured to have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Miss Supranational competition. I have been working tirelessly to prepare myself both mentally and physically for the competition. These preparations have included intense training sessions to enhance my physical fitness, catwalk, poise and stage presence. I have also been working with top-notch trainers to improve my communication skills and develop a strong and impactful voice. I always say that the most important thing for me when preparing for any competition is to have a positive and healthy mindset and to have put in all the necessary work"

"It taught me invaluable lessons about confidence and grace. These platforms demand more than physical beauty- it’s about owning your uniqueness and embracing it. I learned to stand tall, speak my truth and carry myself with poise. The spotlight can be intimidating, but I realised that authenticity shines brighter than any spotlight. And now, as I step into the international arena once again, I carry with me the lessons learned. I know that genuineness, resilience and an honest connection with people transcends borders. Whether I win a crown or not, I’ll continue making South Africa proud. So, here’s to dreams realised, lessons learned and the magic of representing my country on a global stage"

"The outpouring of support from fellow South Africans has been nothing short of heartwarming. Their encouragement, positive messages and unwavering belief have fuelled my determination. To every person who has cheered me on, sent kind words or simply believed in my dream, thank you. You are not just spectators, you are part of this adventure. Your love transcends borders and it’s a reminder that we’re all connected. Thank you for your support, and I can’t wait to embark on this new phase of my incredible journey"

"I want to empower all women, no matter the issue, from those battling gender-based violence, pensioners, women with health problems, professional women, mothers, grandmothers and daughters. Women are facing severe issues which stops their progress in life, and the time is now to recognise that women’s rights are human rights and that women can become whatever they want to be. In my legal career, I have witnessed the disparity which exists between men and women and the existing patriarchy enforcing power over women, which urgently requires our attention and voice for change"

"I have seen a woman glow when she heard she had tenancy rights and could not be evicted from her home of 43 years and I have comforted a domestic worker who wept on learning she had legal recourse to summary dismissal and was later awarded a six months’ salary. There are no small victories here. These are monumental life-changing moments and I want to make sure that this happens more and more. I’m a lawyer, so how can I not use my background to empower women to help themselves? All women need to know is that the law is on their side. My mission and pledge is to teach a woman about her legal rights and let her know that information is Her Way Out"

"I have always believed that being different is a superpower and becoming the second South African of Indian descent to represent our beautiful country on the international stage is a testament to that fact. I will be giving the competition my all and have already started extensive preparations. I cannot describe how excited I am to start this Miss Universe journey and, as this new chapter unfolds, I am fully committed to my support of women equality in South Africa. My advocacy is to address and remove the gaps in the progress of women empowerment by introducing mentorship programmes focusing on business and leadership courses, entrepreneurial and job training programmes and skills development training programmes on secondary to post-tertiary levels of education for girls and women"

"I wanted to try something different to challenge and push myself"

"I consider it an honour to touch people's lives"

"Those experiences helped me conquer many fears and self-doubts"

"I enjoy it and love embracing my full authentic self"