Rare Roses
The Rare Rose paintings are based on real roses with genetic abnormalities. I created them as a response to my realization that many people with rare DNA, including my son, Quinn, are not always regarded with the same esteem and value as the general population. Therefore, I felt compelled to communicate to the world the innate value of every human through my art.
As a parent of a child with a genetic difference, I have witnessed my son being treated as less than due to his DNA. I have also heard similar experiences from other parents of children with unique DNA. This is frustrating and heartbreaking.
I wanted to express how every human was valuable and beautiful regardless of their DNA, so after some thought, I decided that roses would be a perfect symbol of beauty and value since they are revered in almost every culture worldwide. As living organisms, I knew roses could have genetic variants. So, I reached out to botanists to learn about unique genetic variations in roses. (You can learn more about these variations here.)
I was amazed by the images of these unique roses and knew immediately that I needed to paint them. So I began painting the roses on paper while my son slept only a few feet from me.
I decided to paint a dozen rare roses as a tribute to my son and everyone born with rare genetic variants. It was almost a form of art therapy, as I didn't initially have an end goal in mind. I shared a few with other parents of children with unique DNA, and they expressed love for the roses and the message they communicated. Some parents even said they were moved to tears by the roses' meaning. I was humbled by this and motivated to present them in a larger format fit for a more public setting.
I decided to create giclee canvas prints from the original small format paintings. With the gracious invitation of the Greenwood Genetic Center, I was able to show all twelve of the Rare Roses on their beautiful Greenwood campus. 80% of each Rare Rose's sale price was donated to raise money for the GGC Cares Fund, which provides funding for families unable to afford genetic testing and counseling.
The giclee series is now sold out. I am thankful to all the patrons of this project who supported its mission and message. Some of the Rare Roses have gone to institutions where they will be available for public viewing, including Clemson University's Center for Human Genetics, the University of Chicago's Department of Human Genetics, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Greenwood Genetic Center, and The Medical University of South Carolina.
NFTs of the Rare Rose paintings are now for sale at www.rarible.com/nicoleshannon. 100% of proceeds from the initial purchase of each Rare Rose NFT will be donated to the Unique and international charity that provides support, information, and connections to people born with rare chromosome or gene disorders. You can learn more about their mission and history at www.rarechromo.org/our-history/.
You can also support this project by sharing it with others. With your help, we can reach our goal of helping more families access genetic counseling and spread the message that we are ALL uniquely beautiful and deserving of love.
