ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Artist Conversations | Episode #5 — Kemmy Walker

In this episode of Artist Conversations, created alongside ST!LL BLOOMING: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience, I sit down with artist Kemmy Walker to explore perception, environment, and the quiet power of rootedness.

His work Biota reminds us, "we live within nature, and nature lives within us." KW.

A tree rises from the figure’s head like a visual prayer, grounding, protective, alive. In our conversation, Kemmy speaks about blending perception with environment, history, fantasy, and fear, creating work that keeps us close to the earth and close to ourselves.

Within the exhibition’s curatorial framework of Repositioning Softness As Power, Biota anchors us from protected ground. It invites us to reconsider strength not as dominance, but as symbiosis. Not separation, but belonging.

This is a conversation about environmental memory, inner landscapes, and the resilience found in remaining rooted.

Guest: Kemmy Walker (@greenz_269)

Artwork: Acrylic on Canvas | 30" × 40" | 2025

🖼️ ST!LL BLOOMING: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience

📍 Art Gallery of Burlington

🗓️ On view until May 24, 2026

ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Artist Conversations | Episode #4 — Funmilola Adeseun

In this episode of Artist Conversations, created alongside ST!LL BLOOMING: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience, I sit down with architect and mixed media artist Funmilola Adeseun (@byajike) to explore legacy, colour, and the generational wisdom carried in her work.

Her painting Rooted (2025) reminds us that life is one big garden and we are the blossoms.

From seedling to elder, our growth unfolds through interconnected stages: budding, blooming, ripening, and returning to the earth to regenerate. In rejecting the idea of linear progress, Funmilola embraces a spiral understanding of life, one shaped by culture, kinship, and community.

In our conversation, she shares how her father inspired her creative path, how architecture informs her maximalist compositions, and how joy and opulence become acts of cultural affirmation.

As she writes:

Life is one big garden, and we are the Blossoms. Seeds popping, Children budding, Teens blooming, Adults flowering… Then we return to earth, regenerating, seeding again, blooming again. We Blossom always, with heads held high.

This is a conversation about inheritance, colour as celebration, and survival through continuity, where softness is not fragility, but rooted strength.

Listen now and be inspired.

Guest: Funmilola Adeseun (@byajike)

Artwork: Rooted, 2025, Acrylic & Oil on Canvas (48” x 36”)

Exhibition: ST!LL BLOOMING: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience

Dates: February 7 – May 24, 2026

ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Artist Conversations | Episode #3 — Según Aiyesan

What happens to the spirit when the walls close in, and how do we find the light within the gaps?

In this third episode of Artist Conversations, curated alongside the exhibition ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience, I am joined by self-taught artist Según Aiyesan. We explore the intersections of surrealism, community, and the persistent power of growth in narrow spaces.

Originally trained as an engineer, Según brings a unique, analytical lens to his stylized surrealist art, using visual metaphors to resolve internal conflicts and expose the "underbelly of reality". His work transcends mere aesthetics, serving as a catalyst for poignant conversations about sociocultural nuances and the human search for peace.

His piece, Through The Crevices (2025), is a profound meditation on collective collaboration. It invites us to consider the "crevice" not as a place of defeat, but as a generative space where pressure creates diamonds and constraint births innovation.

Drawing on the wisdom of figures like Angela Davis and Alice Walker, we discuss how "blooming" is an active, communal response to system denials, a practice of finding sovereignty in the very gaps the world thought were too small to hold life.

This is a conversation about the architecture of resilience, the power of collective formation, and the "embodied knowing" that we are strongest when we grow together.

Listen now and be inspired.

• Guest: Según Aiyesan (@segun_aiyesan)
• Work Featured: Through The Crevices (Acrylic and Cretextura on canvas)
• Exhibition: ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience
• Location: Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB)
• Dates: February 7 – May 24, 2026

ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Artist Conversations | Episode #2 — Shery Keen

What does it mean to create a safe space while we are still becoming?

In this episode of Artist Conversations, created alongside ST!LL BLOOMING: The Art of Survival and Softness, I sit down with multidisciplinary visual artist Sheryl A. Keen to explore refuge, inner dialogue, and the necessity of softness during times of growth.

Working with acrylics, collage, and sculptural texture, Sheryl creates visual stories that move through physical, emotional, and mental spaces. Her work acknowledges survival not as something loud or hardened, but as something deeply tender.

Her piece Cover Me (2022) reflects on the spaces we seek when growth becomes uncomfortable, places of care, protection, and quiet resilience. We talk about the importance of creating refuge without retreating, guarding the flame without dimming the light, and allowing art to hold us as we become.

This is a conversation about survival through softness, being multidimensional and honouring the interior work of transformation.

Listen now and be inspired.

Guest: Sheryl A. Keen (@keen_kreations)

Exhibition: ST!LL BLOOMING: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience

Dates: February 7 – May 24, 2026

Release Date: February 7, 2026

ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Artist Conversations | Episode #1 — Komi Olaf

In this episode, I sit down with Toronto-based, Nigerian-born visual artist and poet Komi Olafimihan to explore Afrofuturism, ancestral memory, and decolonization through art. Komi's work in ST!LL BLOOM!NG, including Empress Sheba and Wildflower (Mary Ann Shadd Cary) meditates powerfully on belonging, African diasporic history, and cultural sovereignty.

We discuss his creative process, the intentionality behind every symbol, and how art becomes a site of ceremony and resistance. This is a conversation about truth seeking, bold vision, and painting the stories that need to be told 365 days a year.

Listen now and be inspired.

Guest: Komi Olafimihan (@komiolaf)

Exhibition: ST!LL BLOOM!NG at Art Gallery of Burlington (Feb 7 - May 24, 2026)

Release Date: February 1, 2026

🌸 EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT 🌸

Introducing ST!LL BLOOM!NG: Emerging in Radiance, Rooted in Resilience

After 10 years of community-engaged curatorial work, I'm thrilled to share my first group exhibition featuring 9 extraordinary Afro-Caribbean artists.

📍 WHERE: Art Gallery of Burlington

📅 WHEN: February 7 - May 17, 2026

🎉 OPENING: February 7, 2026

COMING SOON: 9 intimate artist conversations exploring what it means to "still be blooming"

🎙️ Episode 1 drops: February 1st 2026

LEARN MORE:

🌐 francescadurham.com

📖 Digital Catalogue: francescadurham.com/st-ll-bloom-ng-digital-catalogue

FEATURED ARTISTS:

- Komi Olaf

- Joan Butterfield

- Sheryl Keen

- Según Aiyesan

- Laundii (Alanja Simmons)

- Kristin Allicock

- Kemmy Walker

- Funmilola Adeseun

- Amanda Tkaczyk

GROUNDED IN THE WORK OF:

Angela Davis | Alice Walker | Imani Perry

Sponsored by: Halton Black History Awareness Society

Presented by: Art Gallery of Burlington (Community Generator Series)

Subscribe now to hear all 9 artist conversations!

#StillBlooming #BeInspiredPodcast #AfroCaribbean Artists

🎙️ Be Inspired – The Law of Assumption

Welcome to Be Inspired, the podcast that uplifts your spirit, nourishes your mind and empowers you to live intentionally. I’m your host, Francesca—and today’s episode is a powerful one. We’re talking about the Law of Assumption—a simple but life-changing principle that reminds us: what you believe to be true becomes your reality.

In this episode, we’re going to explore:

✅ Why assuming success, ease, and abundance actually works.

✅ How your unconscious beliefs shape your experiences.

✅ The role of mental discipline and awareness.

✅ Practical ways to shift your mindset and embody the life you truly desire.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, uncertain, or just craving a shift—this episode is for you. When you learn to assume the feeling of a wish fulfilled, you’ll unlock a deeper truth: that you are the creator of your reality, and life responds to the energy you live in.

Listening in will leave you feeling empowered, clear, and ready to rewrite the story you’ve been telling yourself.

So grab a tea, get cozy, and let’s go deep. It’s time to be intentional, be aware, and remember, no matter what — always Be Inspired ❤️

#LawOfAssumption #MindsetShift #ManifestWithEase #BeInspiredPodcast #PowerOfBelief #AssumeSuccess

Welcome to Be Inspired—your ultimate resource for finding inspiration and the podcast where passion meets purpose, and bold dreamers become the artists of their own destiny. I’m your host, Francesca and today’s episode is a masterclass in courage, creativity, and choosing your dream—no matter when, or how, it calls you.

I’m so excited to introduce you to Kim Foster Yardley, a phenomenal artist and psychologist who’s just been accepted into a wonderful School of Visual Arts to pursue her Master of Fine Arts!

Kim’s story is more than inspiring—it’s a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of listening to that quiet, persistent voice inside that says, “This is who you truly are.”

In this episode, Kim shares what it really means to take a leap of faith into your purpose, how her background in psychology informs her art, and the practical challenges she’s facing to make her dream a reality. You’ll walk away feeling moved, motivated—and maybe even ready to take your own leap.

If you’re someone who’s ever put a dream on hold, questioned your timing, or wondered what if, this one’s for you.

Let’s dive in—this is Kim’s journey to the School of Visual Arts.

Reach out to Kim: https://www.kimfosteryardley.com

#BeInspiredPodcast #SupportArtists #CreativeDreams #MFAJourney #FollowYourPassion #ArtistsSupportingArtists #MakeTheImpossibleHappen

New Episode on Be Inspired - YES You CAN Manifest The Impossible — and here’s how.

This week on Be Inspired, I’m diving deep into the truth behind manifesting what others might call “impossible.”

Spoiler: It’s not only possible—it’s already yours.

This episode is for those who are ready to align with their power, release doubt, and take inspired action toward the life YOU know is waiting.

Tune in to learn:

• What it really means to manifest from a place of truth

• How to shift your mindset and open the door to possibility

• Simple practices that support clarity, courage, and alignment

You’re not dreaming too big. You’re remembering who you are.

And YES—you absolutely can manifest the impossible.

Thanks for tuning into Be Inspired.

Your support means everything. Let’s keep rising, together.

#BeInspiredPodcast #YesYouCanManifest #ManifestTheImpossible #FrancescaDurham #SpiritualAlignment #PodcastEpisode #HolisticLiving #WomenWhoLead #BeInspiredWithFrancesca

🚨 New Episode Alert!🚨

Get ready for a heartfelt episode of Be Inspired coming next week! I’m sitting down with artist Kim Foster Yardley who is taking a bold step toward her dream. She’s been accepted into a School of Visual Arts to pursue her Master of Fine Arts, and she’s sharing her incredible journey with us and how she plans to make this happen.

We’ll talk about what it takes to follow your passion, overcome obstacles, and say YES to the life you truly want. She’ll open up about the challenges of funding her education and how we—as a community—can help her make this dream a reality, a deeply personal request, and most importantly why following this dream means so much.

🎙 Who should tune in?

✔️ Artists and creatives who can no longer ignore the call to take action and fulfill their dreams

✔️ Anyone afraid to take the next big step - and if you listened to my last podcast you’ll remember I spoke about having the confidence and taking a chance on being seen in the world by sharing your talents

✔️ Those who want to support an inspiring journey

Don’t miss this powerful conversation about courage, creativity, and making the impossible happen. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the episode, and be sure to share with someone who needs this inspiration! Most of all stay encouraged, creative and always Be Inspired.

#BeInspiredPodcast #Creatives #artists #SupportArtists #FollowYourPassion #MakeTheImpossibleHappen #community