I am building my new studio and have a list of potential collectors, with more being added. If you’re interested in joining the list, you can email me at info@chiaraatoyebimedia.com.
I will be offering work by myself as well as select pieces from other artists. Custom work will be limited online, but there will be other special items available. Feel free to check out the Etsy shop.
We’ll also have more coming for America 250, and the current digital download includes an embroidery image. You can download it and create it from the comfort of your own home.
You can also see some of my artwork on Instagram at chiaratoyebi.
My son is phenomenal artist and also a Kid Cudi fan, and one of my business partners and favorite people. Everything I do is for my babies and I do not regret it or feel conflicted. I feel blessed and fortunate.
I am not active on social media, but it should still be there.
The past two months have been full of artistic adventures for our family. Two of my favorite highlights were taking my daughter to see The Nutcracker performed by the Chesapeake Ballet Company and spending a quiet afternoon wandering the National Portrait Gallery, one of my personal favorites. For MLK Day, we celebrated through movement by attending a powerful dance performance by Company Z and Baltimore Dance Tech at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum — a perfect fit for me since I’m such a fan of dance.
Azerbaijani singer Fatma Mukhtarova Photo in the Public Domain
I’ve actually never been to the Strathmore myself, but my daughter visited on a recent class field trip and came home excitedly reciting composers’ names and asking to hear more Beethoven. What I love about the Strathmore is how many enriching arts experiences it offers without requiring a big budget. It’s truly one of the cultural anchors of our region, and I’m looking forward to finally experiencing it in person soon. I’m also hoping to make my way to Afternoon Tea at the Mansion. It’s been on my list for a while. Additionally, about a month ago, I went to afternoon tea at Lady Camellia and I highly recommend it. It was pink and cute and the tea and sandwiches were delicious. It’s a wonderful way to spend a slow Saturday afternoon if you love tea. It may even be nice to make a date of both. Here are some cool things to know about Strathmore:
Always‑Free & Pay‑What‑You‑Can Options
Free admission to rotating visual art exhibitions inside the Mansion
Bloom by Strathmore events offered free or pay‑what‑you‑can (concerts, workshops, community performances)
Seasonal free outdoor concerts on the lawn — perfect for picnics with kids
Free and low‑cost youth arts programs offered throughout the county
Accessible events designed to bring the arts directly into neighborhoods
Upcoming shows I am looking at Katherine McPhee and David Foster. I saw bits of the show on Youtube and it looks like they are sharing a lot of the songs David Foster wrote for some of music’s biggest stars. I may catch a symphony as well and take my kids. It’s good to expose them early for their travels throughout the world.
Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?
This story is old, but I started acting overseas at a young age. I was discovered at the bumper cars by a German woman scouting a movie and I ended up being called in and getting a small role. I played the best friend of the cheerleader. Ironically, I seemed to reincarnate this “friend of the cheerleader” role many times in my future. Now, I think I’m too long in the tooth at this point to do any high kicks, but it certainly did last a long time. I still do a movie or two a year. I did one last year, that ended up in a film festival. Acting is always fun. But, I think I like to connect with audience even more.
When I look back on pictures like this, it makes me feel like I am performing. While I am more comfortable giving a speech, being on stage and in front of the camera in general—I am looking to do so in a way that is meaningful. I have been building up my credentials in ways that would allow me to serve, and continue to help others. I like to think of the world as a stage. A very big one.
When I think of all the things I’ve been through, it only makes sense to share the ways that God and has changed me. In the past I was overly emotional, quick to assume, and often looking for love in the wrong places. I had many wounds that I allowed other people to reopen and today I have strong barriers and zero codependency. If anything I love this newfound freedom. I’d never go back. In my opinion feebleness and desperation aren’t the best energy for the stage. However a love filled person is.
Today, I have acquired quite a few bumps and bruises, but I feel more alive and connected than I ever have. I feel secure and even surrendered to the wondrous places life can take me.
I know this is a bit far off into my future, but I actually think of how I’d be as a grandmother. I look forward to sharing all of the crazy things I experienced while baking some pretty tasty cookies. These days I have learned that it truly isn’t how you started, it’s how you keep on going.
When I get back on anyone’s stage, I’ll share that.
Always remember that life is a stage, you are the star, keep on keeping on—show em who you are!
When I think about what I would do if I could not fail, I would run a digital media brand of my spiritual and creative wellness business. I believe that these things are healing modalities that shape both our inner and outer worlds and transform our environment. I like business, and I am in the business of spirituality, creativity, . This website, along with two others that are set to launch, marks the start of a thought hub and a virtual archive dedicated to my reflections, as well as the preservation of the brilliant minds that preceded me.
Digital media is such a powerful tool. We all know and understand the power of social media and a lot of it is not good. However, there are a few of us that desire to interject goodness into our culture and seek balance where things have gotten out of hand. This can be done in several ways, but two of them come to mind: Color and Rhetoric.
Image Generated By AI
Color has a strong impact on our moods. When you go into a store or even drive through different neighborhoods, try to take into account how the colors make you feel. According to a February 2024 article posted to VeryWellMind on color, “Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with physiological changes, including increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.”
If you want to change your mood even within your own living space, enlisting more color or changing the colors you have, are a great way to start. or example, you might consider painting your walls in soothing shades of blue or green to create a calming environment, or adding vibrant splashes of red or orange to energize and invigorate your space. Subtle changes, such as incorporating colorful cushions, artwork, or plants, can also have a significant impact.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that the perception of color can be subjective and may vary from person to person. While one individual may find yellow uplifting and cheerful, another might perceive it as overwhelming. Therefore, it’s essential to choose colors that resonate personally and align with the desired ambiance of the space.
Experimenting with different hues and tones can transform a room and, ultimately, influence your emotional well-being in a positive way. Embrace the power of color and let it enrich your life with warmth, energy, and tranquility. I’ve noticed that as I have gotten further along my spiritual path, I desire less clutter and more white walls. The same goes for my artwork and spiritual practice. I see my artwork as well as
Over the past two years I’ve started a feather collection. It’s not huge but it does have some pretty nice and unique feathers in it. I love collecting feathers of different varieties. For me, they represent angelic communication, good omens, and kisses from God. I can remember where I found most of my feathers, and the stories behind them. A lot of my feathers I discovered while walking around with my daughter in parks and on beaches. Others seemed to serendipitously land at our feet while talking. We love finding feathers together, it’s a special mother-daughter hobby we share.
Over the years, I’ve received large feathers at retreats and in yoga circles as parting gifts. However, my favorite feathers are the ones that seem to find me. Especially small white ones. Small white flowers always seem to float towards me when I need to remember to smile. Any connection to animals, nature and especially the ocean I tried to capture like lightning in a bottle. Considering the profound connection between humans and animals, you may want to keep fossils and feathers in your home to start an ongoing spiritual discourse with our lived environment. It makes a difference when you are becoming intentional about preserving and caring for the world around you. Sometimes it begins with something as small as a feather.
At the moment I keep them in a small mason jar on my praying space and imagine them bringing in a calming energy and connecting me to nature. In Native American culture, feathers represent the spiritual and ancestral connection. I love that connection because I believe all objects, even the ones that are considered to be inanimate, carry life force energy within them.
So the next time you’re outside and you find a feather, consider setting an intention with it. Or even better, repurpose it by getting some ink and using it to write with. I’ve done it, and it writes beautifully. You can collect several feathers and make your own dream catcher. Or just place them in a jar. Another option is leaving them on the ground to remain one with the Earth.
There’s nowhere to take them because essentially they’re already home.
Over the past two years I’ve started a feather collection. It’s not huge but it does have some pretty nice and unique feathers in it. I love collecting feathers of different varieties. For me, they represent angelic communication, good omens, and kisses from God. I can remember where I found most of my feathers, and the stories behind them. A lot of my feathers I discovered while walking around with my daughter in parks and on beaches. Others seemed to serendipitously land at our feet while talking. We love finding feathers together, it’s a special mother-daughter hobby we share.
Over the years, I’ve received large feathers at retreats and in yoga circles as parting gifts. However, my favorite feathers are the ones that seem to find me. Especially small white ones. Small white flowers always seem to float towards me when I need to remember to smile. Any connection to animals, nature and especially the ocean I tried to capture like lightning in a bottle. Considering the profound connection between humans and animals, you may want to keep fossils and feathers in your home to start an ongoing spiritual discourse with our lived environment. It makes a difference when you are becoming intentional about preserving and caring for the world around you. Sometimes it begins with something as small as a feather.
At the moment I keep them in a small mason jar on my praying space and imagine them bringing in a calming energy and connecting me to nature. In Native American culture, feathers represent the spiritual and ancestral connection. I love that connection because I believe all objects, even the ones that are considered to be inanimate, carry life force energy within them.
So the next time you’re outside and you find a feather, consider setting an intention with it. Or even better, repurpose it by getting some ink and using it to write with. I’ve done it, and it writes beautifully. You can collect several feathers and make your own dream catcher. Or just place them in a jar. Another option is leaving them on the ground to remain one with the Earth.
There’s nowhere to take them because essentially they’re already home.
The 1980s will go down in history as a time that American’s were finding their true voice. Women, LGBTQ, communities of color, and women across the nation were demanding to be heard amidst the bullhorns of Reaganomics and conservative politics. The now-famous -pop art style of the ’80s that was signature to artists like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat depicted the various social issues of the time visually captivating images that utilized repetition as a technique or drew viewers in with their bold color palettes. These artworks and the artists themselves were making bold statements about the world we live in and made us ask questions. Somewhat on the outskirts of the (pop)-ular Pop Art movement were many African-American photographers making art that dealt with the obstacles of navigating race, gender, and sexuality in America. At the forefront of that effort was Brooklyn based artist Lorna Simpson. Simpson is a renowned multimedia artist and photographer whose work often explores themes of memory and representation, particularly in relation to identity, gender, race, and history. She gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with her photo-text installations, such as “Guarded Conditions” and “Square Deal,” which challenge viewers to think deeply about these issues. Simpson’s work frequently combines photography, film, video, painting, drawing, audio, and sculpture to create a multifaceted exploration of memory and history. She is known to juxtapose images with narrative text while encouraging viewers to look beyond surface appearances to consider the deeper implications of representation.
Simpson, Lorna. Twenty Questions (A Sampler) 1986. Photo in the Public Domain
Her work, similar to Baltimore based artist, Zoe Charlton ‘s work deals with debunking stereotypes concerning black men and women. Where Charlton is masterful with her pencil art, Simpson uses black and white photography to deconstruct the images of black women in order to show their many layers. In the absence of flash or color, the viewer focuses on the moment in which the subject exists with pretense.
In doing so, Simpson concludes there is nothing more “magical” about a black woman than in any other woman–at least upon first glance. Yet by honing in her in this way with out overly pronounced bosoms and backsides, she was able to draw attention to the sensuality in the mundane that is her body. She too, like every other woman—is a woman of many facets. One of the many ways the Simpson explores the body is through her work Memory and Representation.
The intimate portrayal created by the artist stands in stark contrast to other artists who aim to explore black women, their sexuality and their essence differently. For example, Kerry James Marshall’s untitled work Beach Towel displays a very vulnerable and seductive black woman on a beach towel in a backyard. Of course, Black women are also this representation as well, making it hard to over generalize and at times marginalize the body.
All of these images challenge the ongoing conversation of how African Diasporic women, and their images, show up in the world.
As many of you know this art journey has been my soul’s journey and serves as a well spring of healing. Especially when it is created among a sisterhood. Please join us for an evening of poetry and connection this September 8, 2022. The exhibition will be at the Sandy Spring Museum. There will be an open mic night and we encourage you to come through and speak your mind. Register: The Sandy Spring Museum. See you there!
In Yoruba culture Oshun is an orisha or, deity, that reflects one of God’s manifestations. She symbolizes fertility, love, beauty, luxury and pleasure. She is the mother of the river. Most notably the river located in Nigeria that bears her name. Gold, deep yellow, white and green are her signature colors signifying the deep connection to the Earth in Nigeria.
Oshun is the Yoruba orisha connected to destiny. The vessel is often used as a divination tool that allows a querent to illicit guidance and inspiration from its markings. With the markings on the pot the diviners are able to gain insight into one’s life by studying the markings on the vessel.
What approach did you take in making this vessel?
Creating art in this medium is similar to channeling. As a black American with roots in Puerto Rico, Barbados and through marriage Nigeria—I wanted to create something that was both spiritual and useful. It is a vessel that I set out to be a snapshot of my family. During my middle daughter’s battle with cancer there were many unanswered questions and I often turned to meditation and prayer. This path led me to the discovery of diviners in both my family, and my husband’s family, which I feel is uniquely African in how our culture conjures or calls upon the spirit world.
The vessel was supposed to be a bit more beautiful, however, upon appearance it looks almost like an artifact. It is weathered and there are what appears to be cracks with embedded dates and words. At any given moment a different person could look at this vessel and ask it a question. Someone may see the numbers. Someone else may see the words. The markings look like life lines on a hand. It can be placed with the “mouth” facing up or down, which would give it a decidedly different read as well.
It all is dependent upon who is looking at it when and how it speaks to you.
I see a family and in its center are the words “Unbreakable.” Families in all forms are under attack. Unity is under attack but love always wins. I find it interesting that this is the message that I channeled while constructing this piece and look forward to its further revelations.
In commemoration of the historic March on Washington in 1963, where more than 200,000 people marched for jobs and freedom, the National African American Museum of History and Culture has a fantastic offering for the public. For only 24 hours viewers are invited to watch the film August 28: A Day In The Life directed by Ava Duvernay. Duvernay was commissioned by the museum as part of its commemoration of this historic event. Spencer Crew, acting director of National Museum of African American History and Culture says, “This Friday marks the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, which in 1963, brought together more than a quarter-million people advocating for racial justice. Demonstrations have long been a way for American citizens to help the nation live up to its stated ideals, making Friday’s anniversary and march not just a commemoration, but the continuation of an American tradition that began centuries ago.” Crew continued, “Evidence of not only how far we have come since 1963, but the long journey ahead to justice and equality.”
It is amazing to see all of the things that have transpired on this one day throughout history. I urge you to take a look. Connect the dots and discuss.
link.medium.com/wPH0SoYhPwb
