Talitha-Koumi “T.K.” Oluwafemi and her young daughter spent most of their first three days at HomeFront in ArtSpace; literally painting their pain away while processing the traumatic events that had rendered them “homeless.” An aspiring author and spoken word artist, TK had never tried her hand at painting before. However, Oluwafemi recalls the moment she used a brush to paint green acrylic onto a blank white canvas as “a life altering encounter of the epic kind.”
While painting, TK realized she had a gift for creating mixed medium collages. She also found empowerment, self-confidence, and an intrinsic redefinition of “home.” TK recalls, “On the very first day I walked into ArtSpace, Ruthann empowered me and all who walked in the doors by declaring ‘this is your place, these are your canvases, these are your paint brushes, make this space your own’.”
Then at SewingSpace, Oluwafemi found a large room filled with sewing machines, fabrics, threads, and craft items. She started adding these materials to her paintings to create a series of painted collages called Tree Ladies. “I thought about the trees, how they stand tall and how you can find shade from the harshness of life and shelter under a tree. Even during the seasons, the trees will shed leaves and remaining standing. This was symbolic of my own life, which felt encouraging to me.”
While painting, TK realized she had a gift for creating mixed medium collages. She also found empowerment, self-confidence, and an intrinsic redefinition of “home.” TK recalls, “On the very first day I walked into ArtSpace, Ruthann empowered me and all who walked in the doors by declaring ‘this is your place, these are your canvases, these are your paint brushes, make this space your own’.”
Then at SewingSpace, Oluwafemi found a large room filled with sewing machines, fabrics, threads, and craft items. She started adding these materials to her paintings to create a series of painted collages called Tree Ladies. “I thought about the trees, how they stand tall and how you can find shade from the harshness of life and shelter under a tree. Even during the seasons, the trees will shed leaves and remaining standing. This was symbolic of my own life, which felt encouraging to me.”