Renowned Nova Scotian teen becomes Wellness Within’s first junior artist in residence

Noushin Ziafati
 Oct 26, 2020

Wellness Within has announced 13-year-old Damini Awoyiga as its first-ever junior artist in residence. She is pictured outside her home in the Hammonds Plains area in July 2020.
Wellness Within has announced 13-year-old Damini Awoyiga as its first junior artist in residence. Awoyiga is pictured outside her home in the Hammonds Plains area in Halifax Regional Municipality in July 2020. – Contributed

Damini Awoyiga has been creative for as long as she remembers. 

“I would draw, I would paint and I would also make cards for my parents and family friends whenever there was a birthday going on,” the Grade 8 Madeline Symonds Middle School student recalls from her younger years.  

“Also, when I was eight or nine, I made mini food out of clay and they were pretty realistic.” 

Damini Awoyiga recently started the Afro-Indigenous Youth Book Club — the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada — to encourage youth to read Black and Indigenous stories. - Contributed
Damini Awoyiga recently started the Afro-Indigenous Youth Book Club — the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada — to encourage youth to read Black and Indigenous stories. – Contributed

Today, at just 13 years old, Awoyiga is a well-renowned activist, artist and poet. 

She’s made headlines with her mask-masking business, Damini Creatives, which sources materials from Nigeria and Ghana, and for starting the Afro-Indigenous Youth Book Club — the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada — to encourage youth to read Black and Indigenous stories.

Teen becomes organization’s first junior artist in residence

Now, Awoyiga is preparing for her next artistic endeavour: as the first junior artist in residence with Wellness Within: An Organization for Health and Justice.  

I’m really excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity to work as the first Junior Artist in Residence for @WWHealthJustice Black Doula training 😍 @LitDigitally @MSMSJaguars @AfroIndigenous1 https://t.co/6XsI2p0GWm— Damini Awoyiga (@awoyiga) October 22, 2020

“Damini obviously demonstrates extraordinary talent in a lot of different areas — painting, poetry and textiles. Not only is she talented, but she has this vision of art as a source of empowerment for youth and for girls in particular,” said Martha Paynter, founder of Wellness Within.

“So that is just right on with our mission and it was a perfect fit.” 

Wellness Within is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that focuses on reproductive justice, prison abolition and health equity. 

According to Paynter, the organization came to know about Awoyiga and her work through her mentorship with El Jones, who is a community-based activist, poet, writer and member of Wellness Within, and decided to bring on a junior artist in residence for the first time this year, after years of hosting adult artists. 

Paynter said Awoyiga will work creatively during Wellness Within’s Black doula training event in Halifax from Nov. 27 to 29. Awoyiga’s “abstract” residence artwork will then be used in Wellness Within’s “promotional work and publications throughout the year,” she added.

‘I’m very excited’ 

Awoyiga said she “welcomes the opportunity” to take on the inaugural junior artist residency.

“I’m very excited and I’m very happy,” she added. 

Through her art, activism and poetry, Awoyiga, who is Nigerian-Canadian, said she wants people “to understand other people, understand women’s rights and be open to learning new things.”

“I also want to be able to make change in people that maybe thought things that maybe weren’t right or weren’t true about people — not necessarily to change people’s views, but to kind of explain,” she added.  

A poem by Awoyiga

Awoyiga shared her poem Golden molds with The Chronicle Herald:
 

Golden molds stories of female bodies left untold

Different shapes and sizes kings would beg to behold

Beautiful beyond words for only a sweet melody could describe them

Golden molds shape of our lovely curves and edges

As we make our pledges

To love our bodies inside and out

We love and cherish our Earthly cases

As we make our way through the labyrinths

of imperfections

Filled with hate and body shame

but as we walk flowers of self-love and body love bloom at our feet

And we don’t let our golden bodies be molded by the heat

We know that our bodies are whole and complete

We love our golden bodies exceptionally

We tell our sisters that are feeling down

to love their bodies affectionately

We sit atop the heads of goddesses adorned with

Unbreakable diamonds and burning sapphires

Our golden molds

with cracks and folds

and layers

and layers of solid GOLD

Source: Chronicle Herald