This painting is a continuation of my series relating to issues of gender, race and identity, taking the form of life-sized portraits. The issues for each piece are derived from the character and personality of the individuals I paint, and the universal themes I see reflected in them. In keeping with that mission, I find myself dealing with a disparity of individuals and perspectives. I'm motivated by my need to empathize with those who's experience I can never know. "Imbalance" stems from my conversations with my model, Sam Lewis, who is deeply interested in anthropology and the transformations of human societies over time. We found the 4000 year old Egyptian goddess MA'AT an apt metaphor for aspirational change. Her scale is used to weigh the heart (soul) against her symbolic feather at death. She represents righteous justice for all society. The same scale survives today as a symbol for the legal profession, which is neither blind nor equally just. Who's fingers are on our scales? The audio component for Imbalance was written and performed by the inspiration and model for the painting, Sam Lewis, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for her insight and collaboration.