Sarah Serio | B’Elanna Torres “Star Trek: Voyager”
“Star Trek has been a part of my life since elementary school. It’s filled with strong female characters that are seen as equals and just as capable of doing a job as anyone else. I have my favorites from every series and they all impacted my life. But when Star Trek Voyager came along, I wore the cover off the TV Guide special announcing the cast and characters. One stood out, her head held high, the half Klingon, half Human engineer. I watched the pilot and was hooked on this new Trek. But B’Elanna solidified herself as my favorite when she broke Joe Carey’s nose. I vividly remember watching “Faces” and seeing B’Elanna struggle with her two halves. Her journey over seven seasons was rich with struggle, overcoming the odds, and a fierce grace. She had a confidence in her abilities as an engineer that I am fortunate to have been presented at such as young age. Her role as the first female engineer, we’d seen would resonate with me as I entered the world of being a female artist in the male dominated area of printmaking. To see that being a strong female who can take command probably influenced my life in ways I’ll never know. B’Elanna taught me to be strong and unapologetic for my strength, to acknowledge my weaknesses and to stand up to them, and that we cannot escape our past but must work to embrace it as we move forward.”
— Sarah Serio
Sarah’s Bio:
Sarah Serio is a nationally exhibiting printmaker creating in the traditional methods of hand carved block prints. Her current works tell the story of those suffering in the violent & demeaning world of human trafficking. She finds that often the visual imagery used to bring awareness to human trafficking is sanitized, showing a girl bearing a bar code and ropes around her wrist. Her work strives to bring the harsh reality of this world to light. She has exhibited in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and is in several permeant collections.