?UESTIONS: Lola X Kenneth

A beautiful union of family, love and art. Lola makes a painting in watercolour and her Grandson Kenneth adds drawings based on her memories.

'When Lola passed, she left me with her paintings and a purpose. I promise to finish everything she started.'

“Crescenciana, Woven” 2018

I drew Lola’s portrait using Filipino weaving and textile patterns.

Can you tell us the story of how you and your Grandmother starting creating together?

Hello! My name is Kenneth and my grandmother (“lola” in Tagalog) is Crescenciana. In 2014 I left my job in Los Angeles and moved back home to San Jose to help care for Lola.

One day, we were sitting at the kitchen table and I asked her what she wanted to do. She said, “Something that is for a purpose.” I’d read somewhere that painting was a form of therapy with seniors, so I thought we’d give it try.

She made paintings in watercolor, and when they dried I drew on top of them based on the stories and memories she was sharing with me. That’s how we started creating together.

A portion of “Little Ilokana.” Lola’s watercolor and my drawing. 2021.

Working on our book has given me a chance to sit down with Lola’s memories, all the way from the start. This drawing is meant to be her as a little girl. According to Lola, she loved to play and dance in the palengke—or market—when she was supposed to be helping her mother set up their sari sari (variety) store.

“Nipa Hut,” 2015. Watercolor by Lola. Ink by me.

A nipa hut is a home built on stilts that is indigenous to the Philippines. The huts are constructed with wood, bamboo, and leaves. Lola was born in and raised her two daughters in her family’s nipa hut in the village Villasis.

What is the creative process, what is your approach in creating a piece of art?

Sometimes Lola told me what she was painting, in which case I’d do my best to draw what she’d envisioned. Otherwise, I start by taking one of Lola’s paintings and I stare at it like it’s a Rorschach test until I figure out which of her stories or memories best fits with it. Then I draw. Before Lola passed, I would draw directly on top of her watercolor paintings. But I realized that if I did that, eventually there’d be no more paintings to draw on, and our work would end. That’s why these days I work digitally. I scan Lola’s paintings and I draw on top of them on my tablet.

"Peanuts.” Watercolor and digital. 2020.

In 1942, at the start of the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines, Lola surfaced from her hiding place in the foothills and reunited with her mother at home. She said, “I roasted peanuts and put them on the street where the Japanese pass by and they drop Japanese [money], maybe five or ten cents. That’s when I earned my first Japanese money.”

"Vacation" Lola’s watercolor and my drawing. 2021.

After World War II, my grandfather suffered a nervous breakdown. He traveled home to China, leaving Lola behind in the Philippines with their two girls. He disappeared.

As a boy, I asked Lola where my grandfather was, and she said, “He is on vacation,” which I understood to mean, “Maybe he’ll return.”

What have your learnt about yourself through creating with your Grandmother?

I’ve learned I can still find ways to stay in touch with Lola and to keep her present. When she passed, I felt like we still had work to do together, and I wanted to finish everything she started.

We’re not sitting next to each other and painting at the kitchen table anymore, but when I’m working on one of her paintings I still look to her for guidance and it feels like we’re still working together.

Can you share a favourite story/memory from your Grandmother?

My very first memory of her might be my favorite. I was maybe four years old and I was digging around in the pantry for a snack (probably carbs, because some things don’t change) when I shut the door on my thumb. I turned around and I saw Lola sitting at her corner of the kitchen table. She called me over, wrapped my thumb in her hand and blew on it, and I felt like everything would be okay.

All images courtesy of The Lola x Kenneth Collaboration.

Website: lolaxkenneth.com

Instagram: @LolaxKenneth

?UESTIONS: Antoine Hart

Passion and Power, Antoine Hart's work is soul provoking. His skill, content and use of colour, infuses harsh realities and inequalities, whilst shining a spotlight on unheard voices.

'To Many Problems'

Can you share your artistic journey so far?

I have been creating art all my life, from a young child I had a chance to go to a famous school for the arts, but I was scared of be away. I ended up going to the neighborhood school, got involved in the streets and the rest is history.

I always loved the ARTS, I would try to dabble by but nothing too much until 7 years ago, God spoke to me and told me I can do it. I have been praying and painting almost everyday, sometimes 5 / 6 times a day.

My daughter was killed 5 years ago and I put all my love for anything in my artwork. It's the only real thing that keeps me whole in life...artlife always...one love.

'Red Sky and Purple Rain'

'Coming From Work on the Cotton Field'

'How are you of God Walking on the Backs of Others'

What artists inspire you to create? I love the old artists of our past, William H. Johnson... I prayed to see the vision Basquiat saw. I love so many artists, male and female. I love to see other artists sharing and spreading the love of ART...

'God made it all'

Your titles are profound, want comes first the title or the art? Thanks, both. Most of the time I sit down to a blank canvas and just feel something, or want to express something in my mixed up mind lol. I then just start painting and come up with a name once I start looking at it hard.

'Public Warning'

'Walking Freee'

What emotions do you wish to spark with your Art? I just want people to see a vision or a story, I paint happy or sad, truth or lies that was told to us...I try to wake people up.

I put my heart and soul in my artwork and the pain I have from the killing of my first born...my heart...Anaiona always missed and loved...one love...

'The Day He Got Took To America'

'Earth Angel'

All images courtesy of Antoine Hart/ i2f the artist

Instagram: @topsiehartlove

Facebook: Antoine Hart

?UESTIONS: Wes Felton

A positive and relentless force, Wes Felton uses the power of Art to challenge the current issues of the world. A skilful poet, actor, singer and artist, his creativity has no limit. Wes Felton continues to make a powerful difference as a Political Activist!

What is your earliest memory of listening and being inspired by music?

I was very blessed and fortunate to have a Father who was a Jazz Musician. So, I basically grew up around Music and Musicians. Many albums that were Jazz, Rock, Gospel and more.

My first time feeling inspired by music outside of my home was probably John Coltrane and Johny Hartman’s collaborative project. It was the first time I heard a man with a deep voice really singing about love and life. Most Black Male artists often thrived to sing in higher voice ranges.

I have always had a pretty deep speaking voice most of my life so it was cool to hear Johny Hartman sing for the first time. It changed my life and how I found confidence in my own voice. That was in the 80’s..lol but, in the early 90’s OMAR from London gave me that same feeling again.

Music, Art, Poetry, Performance, many strings to your bow – what wisdom connects them all?

Well, at age 15 I began intensive training in theatre at The Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua New York. Then at at the age of 17 I studied at Carnegie Mellon Theatre Conservatory so I have to honestly say that it’s The Thespian in me that connects and controls them all.

If you talk to people I work with they will tell you that I have a very improvised approach to creating art. It’s almost ALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I never sketch any paintings before I create them. This also comes from having Jazz Music as my primary introduction to music.

I hate being in a box and coloring in the lines. But when you get down to the bottom of it my Training as an Actor is what guides me. All of my art is just an extension of my passion and dedication to the Theatre.

Your Art work is powerful, what feelings do you wish to evoke?

I am trying to evoke what I like to call “The Skeleton of a Jazz Solo”. For some people Jazz is noise and they can’t really get into it. When I say, “Jazz” I’m not talking about smoothed out R&B with Horns on the songs. I am talking about “Jazz”.

So, in the midst of this form of expression you then have moments when we as the listener or audience are forced to go down the mind portal of a Musician’s Solo. On the surface it may sound good or bad to you but, if you get down beyond the meat of it that musician is releasing internalized sounds. Feelings transformed into Sounds that they hope make sense in the grand scheme of things.

My visual art is pretty much that! I am purposefully creating pieces that are The Solo rather than The Song or Hook. Lol… I hope I’m making a little sense…

Yourself and Raheem DeVaughn make up the legendary group The Crossrhodes, what is the groups philosophy?

As a kid I used to get snuck into many of the poetry spots or bars. When I came back from Carnegie Mellon I noticed that there were more places with platforms for artist. So instead of just poetry they would have Singers, Rappers and A LOT MORE POETS. I decided to start singing and rapping my words to stand out in the crowded poetry lane lol. I started showing up and would sing or rap instead of reciting poetry.

One day there was a dude who appeared with a rock band called “Tree of Soul”. The lead singer was Raheem Devaughn. I enjoyed what I heard but I wanted hear him on another vibe. I began inviting him to my shows and I would pull him up so more people could hear what I heard.

We then decided to form a group together. I wanted to call it The Crossrhodes to pay homage to the classic Black Soul Music Created that often had The Rhodes Piano as it’s foundation and to give it Rhodes Scholarly Aesthetic because we wanted to represent Black Men throughout The Diaspora.

He and I were two different kind of brothers. The intersection of thoughts and vibes were like 2 Black Men showing up at a crossroad together at the same time. Later we would discover that we were both sons of Jazz Musicians and in 2018 we found out during a trip to Ghana he and I are actually blood cousins. So I prefer for the reader to create their own “philosophy” or lesson of what we represent as a unit.

What will you take from today into to the future? and why?

Integrity. Integrity is what I have valued the most as an Artist. It is what I have tried to hold onto the last 22 years in the entertainment business. I believe Integrity Never Goes Out of Style! It’s Timeless.

Bandcamp: Wes Felton

Instagram: @wesfletondc

Art: @altblackdc