No Circ Samurai: Original Masterpiece to Benefit Intact Organizations

No Circ Samurai: Panel One

The latest masterpiece by Austin, Texas artist, Nique Bilbo, was influenced in part by his wife, Laura, and her relentless desire for all babies to be left whole as they come into this world. Nique spent time in Japan and was struck by the vast differences between the U.S. and the Japanese culture he was immersed in. While there, Nique was honored to work with individuals who demonstrated what the preservation of the body really means. After returning to the U.S., Nique has shared in his wife's passion to provide all parents with accurate and complete information on intact issues before their children are born. It is a story that hits close to home for Nique and Laura -- their first two sons were circumcised at a time when Laura says she did not have access to research based information, and everyone around kept saying she "must do it."

Their third child, Samuel, is intact, and Laura frequently shares her story openly and honestly with others at Keeping Future Sons Intact and various parenting forums. "I am blessed to have a husband who trusts me when I say I'd like to research something more indepth before we make a parenting decision together," says Laura. As a result of Samuel's parents' drive to share what they wished they'd known long ago for his older brothers, many of his peers have been spared the tragedy of genital cutting as well.  When we know better, we can do better, and Nique and Laura are living examples of this.

No Circ Samurai: Panel Two

One of Samuel's nicknames, lovingly called such by his parents, is "Sam Samurai." With a background in Japanese culture, and Samuel lighting up their lives, it came naturally to Nique to speak of a samurai when discussing genital integrity and the protection of babies everywhere.

Laura, who has been a baby-saver in a variety of ways herself [see: Taking Down Babywise: A Hero] says, "I am so lucky Nique is supportive. He doesn't think I am crazy, and loves me for caring about all these babies so much! My baby obsession was more than he bargained for in the beginning, but my boys are very, very lucky to have him as a role model artistically, as well as for a father. I feel so fortunate they have this connection with him."

No Circ Samurai: Panel Three

No Circ Samurai is currently being auctioned off on eBay and can be found here. The piece measures a total of 90" long and 40" tall. Each individual panel measures 30 x 40 inches. No Circ Samurai is varnished with an environmentally safe UV-resistant clear coat to preserve and protect the painting. It is a new, original piece that has previously been hung for gallery display and photography purposes only. One Austin Museum of Art critique reported, "Vibrant reds, blues, and greens make this one of the most beautiful, original contemporary art pieces to come out of Austin, Texas in recent years." The piece will be shipped for free by the artist to the winning bidder. The painting's auction closes at 2:24pm PDT this coming Friday, June 24.

Nique intends to donate a portion of the profit from the sale of his painting to the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC), DrMomma.org, and the Austin Museum of Art.

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