"The Heart (Portrait of a School Girl)" shows a female student from Heiskell School. Depicting Heiskell was important to Ahmad because it was considered the “Heart and Soul” of the Bottom. They included the streets where the school was located and a map of the Bottom in the background. To the left is a Mammy doll, typical of the era, with pitch-black skin and red lips. To the right is a portrait of a Black woman named Romaine, painted by Joseph Delaney. Ahmad aimed to create visual tension by juxtaposing depictions of Black girls and women through different lenses: actual reality (the student in the middle), the white gaze (the doll), and another Black perspective (Joseph Delaney's painting). At the bottom, there is a drawing of Heiskell School.

Year: 2024
Medium: acrylic on panel 
Dimensions: 24in x 48in

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