Nostalgic Memory

Artist

Vera Fustic

SENIOR:

Yalem Sebhat

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

This painting is my visual and emotional response to Yalem’s life story. It was an honor and a pleasure to speak with this wise, bold, loving and caring woman.

Through our conversation I learned that Yalem was born, raised and established her family in Tigray region of Ethiopia, where her parents were wealthy merchants in the beautiful city of Mek’ele.

She arrived in Canada more than 10 years ago and brought the spirit and tradition of her homeland in her heart.

After a rich conversation with this amazing woman, I felt inspired to create a painting for her that invokes the colors, lights and shadows of Ethiopia.

I spoke to her after she was given the painting. She said that it reminds her of the happy, peaceful time when she was a young girl and favorite part of the day was the evening; she used to sit and watch a sunset for a long time, until the gold sky turned dark.