Emilie Johnson

Bob Hawke College

Year 11

Linoleum cut, water-based ink, paper

27.9 × 42cm

“Land of the Free” explores the social and political injustice of immigrants living in America in 2026, opposing republican/MAGA ideology. German print artist, Kathe Kollwitz, inspired me to display the emotions of suffering and grief in my artwork, as her pieces commonly reflect this intense expressionism. To create my piece, I first carved out a linoleum plate with carving tools and then applied water-based ink to the linoleum plate with a brayer, before pressing the inked linoleum onto a sheet of paper. Lastly, my subject matter being animals in captivity reflects the dehumanisation of immigrants in America, treating them as animals, or “illegal aliens,” as President Donald Trump stated.