Painting of "Grandma" Oil. fabric and collage on Canvas 5ftx4ft 2023 Suritah Wignall
Painting of "Grandma" Oil, Collage and Fabric on Canvas 5 ft x 4.5 ft 2023 Suritah Wignall
Flowers for Her Hair!
Welcome to my Studio!
A couple of years ago, I wrote a poem called Flowers for Her Hair. At the time, I was participating in a BIPOC writing group that met once a week. This poem is especially meaningful to me because it truly marks the beginning of everything. The beginning of this entire Journey. Before The Grandma Paintings, and before I conceived the idea of creating a painting that depicts the Hero within me, I wrote short stories and poems. I still write them when I’m not painting.
I’ve always loved tales, mythology, and legends. Each week in the writing group, we were given a prompt by a guest host. One particular facilitator asked us, “What does Flowers for Her Hair mean to you?” I immediately thought of my grandmothers and the phenomenal ancestral women in my lineage. I wasn’t raised with a full set of grandparents, I didnt know any of my Grandmother, so I imagined—if these women were to appear to me—what would they say?
In the 20 minutes we had to write, I created this piece.
I love this poem. It tells the story of Heaven’s grandmothers appearing to her in a moment of deep need. They offer their wisdom through the magic of spices—spices being deeply meaningful in many cultures, especially in my own Afro-Caribbean heritage. They also gift her Pearls of Wisdom through the Book of Remembrance—something real that Heaven can hold onto and turn to in times of lonliness and forgetfullness
This was/is my starting point. Nearly five years ago, I began researching my family history, and the more I uncovered, the more I realized how much strength and resilience these women possessed. They were warriors—living in a time when equal rights for women were nearly nonexistent. And yet, they endured. That strength lives in me too, though sometimes I forget. I forget that I am always loved—by those who walk with me and by the silent Hero within.
In the accompanying video, there are photos of me as a child, around four years old. It’s as if the Pearls of Wisdom are being passed down to guide and comfort my inner child—telling her not to be afraid, reminding her she’s never been alone, and that what she’s been searching for has been searching for her.
The video also offers a glimpse into my creative space: my drafting table, all my paints, and my favorite books—the ones I constantly return to for research and inspiration in storytelling, world-building, painting, and creative writing.
