By Diana Gorky
Special to The Island News
Tatiana Tatum’s upcoming exhibit, “Play, Cry, Repeat,” showcases her unique blend of playful whimsy and deep emotional reflection. Her car window series, featuring finger drawings on foggy windows, captures the childlike wonder in its purest form.
In her piece “Meow from the Backseat,” Tatum reflects, “Drawing like a child isn’t easy. Children have a freedom and audacity that only true masters can achieve in adulthood.”
But Tatum doesn’t shy away from deeper, more personal themes. Her work “My Loved Ones are Always With Me” explores grief and healing, inspired by the Southern belief that cardinals represent your loved ones visiting from the afterlife.
“My mom always called messy hair ‘a bird’s nest,’” Tatiana shares. “These two concepts clicked like puzzle pieces, and I saw the finished painting beforeme.”
Her Healing series feature feminine form juxtaposed with native Lowcountry medicinal plants: passionflower and beautyberry. As one treats anxiety and another reduces inflammation, the message behind the painting is “Healing comes from both body and soul.”
Tatiana’s November exhibit at Thibault Gallery will bring together both her lighthearted, playful work and her emotionally charged reflections on loss. “Play, Cry, Repeat” opens on First Friday, Nov. 1 and will be on display throughout the month at Thibault Gallery at 815 Bay Street. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the powerful work of an artist who is quickly becoming a household name.
Known for her quirky fashion and larger-than-life presence, Tatum has been an unstoppable creative force becoming one of the most intriguing East Coast’s emerging talents. One day, she’s presenting her work at Savannah’s Telfair Museum; the next, she’s receiving the Magellan Scholar award for her scholarship in 3D printing ceramics.
She’s also the creative mind behind Beaufort’s beloved Redneck Mermaids, showcased at the Chalk It Up! festival. Her painting “Inside Out” proudly adorns the halls of USCB’s Center for the Arts.
With her artistic achievements stacking up, everyone is left wondering — what’s next for this rising star, and is there anything she can’t do?
