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Teramen, 2000
Oil on linen, 36 x 48”
Gift of the artist

Teramen shows a real person who occasionally posed for the artist in Haiti. In the painting, Phipps “ . . . wanted to show what dignity, elegance and inner strength can be maintained even in the worst conditions for life, such as squalor and poverty.” In doing so, Phipps did not wish to justify poverty which must be fought against, but rather, she desired to “ . . . praise of the human spirit . . .” for its resilience, discipline, imagination and perseverance. These traits of character are evident in Teramen’s direct and honest presence, as well as in the orderliness and beauty of her humble room.