(photo courtesy of Ehidebamen Uadiale)
As a student at a historically black women’s college there are phrases we hear all too often. The most prominent one being something along the lines of, “Why would you go there? The real world isn’t all black or all women,” and sure, those who say this may have point. The real world isn’t all black nor is it all women, but it is diverse. And diversity isn’t something Spelman College lacks in the least.
Black women at our school come in all shapes, colors, backgrounds and accents. Spelman is home to dancers, actresses, activists, artists, bald heads, afros, 32 inch weaves and the list goes on and on. In a world that has pigeonholed black women into a monolith, this blog series is aimed at showcasing the nuances of black womanhood here at Spelman.
My first interview is with sophomore biology major, Tiana Opara who doesn’t let the preconceived ideas of what it means to be a STEM major stop her from her creative pursuits. We began by talking about when she actually got into painting and she reveals that she’s always been immersed in the arts “whether it be theater, choir or visual art.”
However, her concentration in painting began her freshman year of high school. In a world where it may be hard to find the perfect way for one to express themselves, Opara’s self-expression naturally flows from the brush to the paper. “When you first meet me I can tend to be a little shy and sometimes kind of a mute person, and I feel that when I am in those situations my art speaks for me,” Opara said.
As a Black person sometimes there is a hanging pressure to create art that deals specifically with one’s “blackness.” When asked how she reconciles this pressure, Opara thoughtfully responded.
“To answer, sometimes I do feel limited in the art that I can create as a black woman. Most seasoned artists have collections that have a central theme and mine don’t, I just paint what comes to mind.” She said. “However, if I were to want to become a serious painter and have my work be in museums or what have you, I would feel that pressure to want to paint and create pieces of art that deal with my blackness and show blackness in a positive light.”
“I honestly am starting to feel that way now; recently I’ve felt the urge to create more conscious art that is more appealing to the environment here in the AUC (Atlanta University Center). But at the same time I don’t feel pressured to make art that deals with my blackness,” said Opara. “I already love creating symbolic art that has substantial meaning to what it means to be a black women. As said before I love to paint myself in different forms, so the woman in most of my pieces are self-portraits in a sense…and I’m a black women, so I guess I kinda already make art that exemplifies the beauty of being a black women” Opara concluded confidently.
Taking a look around at the artwork dancing on the walls of Opara’s dorm room her talent is hard to ignore. I couldn’t help but ask whether she was interested in selling.
“My art literally embodies me in all aspects. I like to paint myself in different forms and different characters to express my creativity… Each piece that I have created are basically a reaction to things that were going on in my life at the moment, and when I didn’t have the words to express how I felt, I just painted it. So with that being said, I’m very connected to my art because they hold a lot of sentimental value which is why I don’t typically sell my pieces.”
With Opara’s art work steadily gaining popularity around campus she just might be open to selling soon. “Be on the lookout for new pieces,” quipped Opara cheerfully.