Strings by Kathi Crawford wins Synkroniciti’s Dignity Cover Art Contest

Synkroniciti is delighted to reveal the cover for our upcoming Dignity issue: Strings by Kathi Crawford of Houston, Texas.

We received a number of beautiful and thought-provoking images that will be woven into the issue, but Kathi’s striking monochrome collage immediately commanded our attention. Its stark contrasts and surreal juxtapositions embody the tension at the heart of dignity: the fragile balance between freedom and control, vulnerability and power.

Collage is a powerful medium for dialoguing with the subconscious, much like dreams. Through symbolism and association, Strings opens a web of motifs that speak to dignity: agency, freedom, perception, growth, and identity, while also acknowledging shadow themes of coercion, control, and surveillance. The real meets the illusory, and we are left uncertain which is which. This ambiguity mirrors the mystery of being human: what is consciousness?

Kathi’s focus on the female experience makes its vision especially poignant. Appearance can be a source of personal empowerment, yet it is equally vulnerable to societal manipulation. The spiraled eye suggests both perception and surveillance, while the exaggerated lashes dramatize the act of seeing and being seen. Power and vulnerability are inseparable here, entwined in the same gaze.

Kathi’s Strings is not only visually arresting but conceptually layered, a meditation on consciousness, identity, and the fragile dignity of being human. It reminds us that dignity is not a static possession but a living, contested space—one that must be nurtured, defended, and reimagined.

The issue will be available for pre-order In August at Purchase Individual Issues – synkroniciti and we will have more about Kathi’s three collages accepted for this fascinating issue in her Artist Feature in September.

Kathi Crawford is a Houston-based writer, collage artist, and founder of People Possibilities, LLC, where she has coached humans through life’s plot twists since 2008. Her writing appears in numerous online and print journals. She is the author of two chapbooks, consider the light and running with the beasts (Finishing Line Press) and was delighted to be selected as Best Entry in the 2024 Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition. Through the interplay of writing and collage, Kathi is interested in exploring her voice guided by a deep curiosity about human nature and the motivations behind our choices. She hopes her work leaves you feeling moved and introspective. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn @kathicrawford and subscribe to her blog at https://kathicrawford.com/.