Truth Be Sold

Truth Be Sold was completed by twelve young women led by artists Katie Yamasaki and Menshahat Ebron in partnership with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. The theme of this mural is consumerism. The girls investigated the entire consumer process including extraction, production, market research, advertising, buying, selling, and disposal. Relating the topic specifically to women, the girls explored how consumption affects women on unique levels. Much of our consumer goods are made by women of reproductive age, and young women are often targets of the advertising industry. Brand logos and consumer statistics are spread throughout the design. Inscribed on the mural is a poem written by Nicaraguan poet Gioconda Belli entitled Uno No Escoge. This poem is about choosing consciousness and was selected to speak to the largely Spanish-speaking community of Cypress Hills. The mural explores how we as a society can move from being one that values things over people to a culture that values people over material possessions.