A Meditation on America: Completing My Flag Weaving
All Are Welcome Here, mixed media weaving by Ellis Angel, created with an American flag, barbed wire, and metal, 41 x 32.5 inches, 2023
I’m excited, yet deeply reflective, as I share the completion of my latest piece: a flag weaving made from found materials—a discarded metal rack that resembles a fence, a thrifted American flag, and barbed wire. This piece, unlike my others, will stand alone. It’s a one-of-a-kind meditation on America, the symbol of the flag, and what it represents—or fails to represent—today.
The Inspiration Behind All Are Welcome Here Flag Weaving
When I think of the American flag, words like freedom, alliance, patriotism, protection, and liberty come to mind. The flag is supposed to represent all Americans, embodying the unity we pledge to when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
But recently, seeing the inhumane treatment of migrants at our borders, the broken systems that tear families apart, and the lethal barriers that prevent people from seeking a better life—the same life that America once promised—I’ve been left feeling both anger and shame. All Are Welcome Here reflects those emotions. It’s my personal protest and a meditation on what our flag truly represents today.
An Act of Defiance with a Call for Unity
By cutting and deconstructing the flag, I’ve taken what may be seen as an unpatriotic act, leaving the threads hanging loose to symbolize the unraveling of our nation's ideals. I wove it back together, incorporating a metal rack reminiscent of a fence, topped with barbed wire—a direct commentary on the barriers we’ve put up, both literally and figuratively, to exclude people in search of the same freedoms America was built on.
But this act of defiance is also a call for reflection. America, once a beacon for immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, has become a place where some are turned away rather than welcomed. My piece asks the viewer to question this shift—how did we go from a nation built by immigrants and those seeking a better life, to one that erects walls against them?
In many ways, this weaving is a call to return to the founding principles of our nation—those of inclusion, opportunity, and unity. It’s a plea for us to come together, to embrace the idea that America’s strength lies in its diversity, and to make our flag a symbol of hope for all, not just a select few.
Reflecting on the Inhumane Treatment at Our Borders
I can’t talk about this piece without acknowledging the devastating stories that inspired it. From the reports of border troopers pushing migrants back into the Rio Grande and denying them water, to families torn apart by policies that value exclusion over humanity, it’s impossible to look away. These acts fly in the face of what America was built to represent—a safe haven for those fleeing oppression and seeking freedom.
We must ask ourselves: How can we claim to stand for freedom and liberty when we deny those very things to people who need them most? This piece challenges the viewer to reflect on our national identity and to act in ways that make our country more inclusive—just as our forebears did when they sought a better life.
A Call to Action
This piece has been a difficult, emotional project for me. It reflects the disconnect between the values we preach and the actions we take. I hope that by sharing this weaving, others are inspired to question what the flag—and by extension, America—means to them, and to take actions to make our flag more inclusive.
Our country was founded on the dreams of people seeking a better life, and we must continue that legacy. We have the power to ensure that America remains a place of refuge, not rejection. By coming together as a society, we can make sure that the ideals represented by our flag are extended to everyone, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak.
Thank you for following along with my journey. As always, I encourage everyone to find their voice and become an activist for those who cannot represent themselves. Sometimes it only takes one person to start a movement—and that person could be you.
Resources to Consider
Here are some resources that informed and inspired this piece, and which I think everyone should explore:
