Rite of Passage 

Sarah Joncas, born in 1986, painted "Rite of Passage" to explore themes of transition and identity. The piece resonates with the challenges of coming of age in a rapidly changing world. Joncas’s surreal portraiture introduces a young woman holding a deceased bird which embodies a complex intersection of youth, loss, and environmental consciousness. The background, with its rows of identical houses and looming city skyline, can feel like a metaphor for the pressures of conformity and the environmental degradation passed on to the next generation. The girl’s expression suggests a mix of grief and contemplation, as though she understands the weight of her inheritance. Joncas invites us to think about the rites of passage we all face, and the emotional toll of navigating a world filled with uncertainty. The artwork thus becomes a mirror reflecting both personal introspection and broader societal anxieties.