Klemm Fellowship Presentation
Different cultural backgrounds lead to various perspectives on arts and creativity. I was lucky to find a unique opportunity provided by Klemm Fellowship to reinforce my art path with a volunteering experience that helped me evaluate the extent of my personal development, and test my education limit. During the presentation, I will talk about my experience of working with local artists, the challenges I faced and how the people I encountered changed my perception of the world.
I will talk in detail about the technics I learned from making Batik, a local fabric painting style, and demonstrate some pieces I made in Togo. I will also show some potteries I made with another artist. There were clear distinctions of working with two artists with different work styles. One speaks English better so I could have a better communication with him and learn more background of Batik and the country in general. With the other artist, due to the limit of communication, I did more hands-on work than talking.
During my trip, I also visited two orphanages as part of the program. I learned from the kids as I was teaching them English. Every gathering with other volunteers and their friends were also interesting because I learn about their life in Europe and the purpose of them coming to Togo. They helped me look at the society through a different lens.
This past winter break was absolutely rewarding and I hope to share this experience with the Union community.