With the weather getting a little colder, Washington Square Park is quieter these past few days. The NYU students seem to prefer staying indoors perhaps, and the vendors -sensing less opportunities to make sales- probably set up their tables somewhere else.
I first noticed her yellow head-wrap...then her ankh earrings, and it was all the excuse I needed to approach her. A few moments later, I had a handful of portraits of the artist Ms Icy Soleil. She knew ankh crosses were symbols of life to ancient Egyptians and the conversation flowed on from there on how the Christian crosses might have originated from them.
I initially took her to be from Haiti because of the Soleil name, but she's originally from Guinea (formerly French Guinea, hence the French name for 'Sun'). I don't know if "Icy Soleil" is her real name or an artistic alias for her painting, but that's what it also is on her Instagram.
The racial eclecticism in Washington Square Park is a joy to see and experience. The melting pot is truly alive and well in New York City in particular, and nothing will ever change that.
