Asìkò Art School alumnus Letaru Dralega recounts her time as an artist-in-residence at the Hyde Park Art Centre in Chicago.
The residency program lasted from May to June 2024, spanning two months, and gave her valuable insights to share. Thanks to the collaboration between Asìkò Art School and Hyde Park Art Centre in Chicago, this became a reality.
Letaru shared her insights on Black Arts and Decolonial Sciences during a focused week at BADSLAB.
Through this experience, her artistic focus became more refined, exploring ideas of belonging, memory, and cognitive dissonance, as encapsulated by the phrase “finding the wisdom in the wound.”
Letarus continued her search and delved into lithography, finding inspiration in June Wayne’s artwork.
HPAC offered her remarkable experiences, including field trips to artist-led organizations like the Southside Community Art Centre and Sweet Water Foundation.
She gained valuable insights into community building and space sharing. Letaru appreciated the opportunity to explore diverse artists’ work, see movies, and visit SAIC’s Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection.
Meeting other artists and seeing their unique approaches was one highlight of the residency.
She really enjoyed the studio visits and group talks, which made the experience very satisfying. Letaru is thankful for the help and ideas she got from HPAC and its community.
This residency has been a pivotal moment for Letaru’s art career, and he is eager to continue exploring and expanding upon this experience in the future.
