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Workshop - Becoming Art in a Black Woman's BodyDates: Sat. Feb. 21, 5-9 pm & Sun. Feb. 22, 9-3 pm
Location: Legacy Art Gallery Downtown
Facilitator: Fatima Tajah Olson
Becoming Art in a Black Woman’s Body is a two-day healing and creative workshop held during Black History Month at Legacy Art Gallery. Facilitated by artist Fatima Tajah Olson, the workshop invites Black women to reconnect with their bodies through movement, body painting, reflection, and portrait photography. Rooted in care, creativity, and empowerment, the gathering offers a rare space for rest, self-expression, and collective healing.
This workshop is designed exclusively for Black women, with the intention of creating a culturally specific space for rest, embodiment, and healing.
Each registrant will receive:
- a personal portrait session with Fatima Tajah Olson
- materials kit
- lunch/snacks
Accessibility & Cost:
Cost: $50.00 per person
***Cash only please - payable on February 21.
We recognize that financial barriers can limit access. If the registration fee presents a barrier for you, please reach out. A limited number of reduced or waived fees may be available. No explanation is required.
To register: email [email protected]
15 registrants maximum - a wait list will be taken
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Artist Bio
My name is Fatima Tajah Olson. I was born in Lilongwe, in the southeastern African country of Malawi. I grew up in a crowded two-room shack in a sprawling township on the outskirts of the city, living with my single mother—who supported our family by selling used clothing—alongside my aunt, cousin, and four uncles.
At age five, I told my mum I wanted to live in a “nice house with a bathtub.” I began running away from home, searching for a better life, and I came upon an English school where the students wore uniforms and sat at fine wooden desks. I decided that was the school that I would attend. I was sure I would learn more there than at the government school, where two hundred of us in a single class sat all day on a dirty floor with potholes. One morning, I dressed, went to the English school, walked into a class, and found myself a desk. The teacher asked me what I was doing there. I stood up and yelled, “You teaching me English prease!” The school kept me for the whole semester for FREE!, as my mum could not afford the tuition.
My mother met my Canadian father at a market, and he later adopted me at the age of six in Malawi. We eventually moved to Namibia, and at fifteen, I left my parents there to relocate to Victoria, British Columbia, where I lived with my Canadian family and later completed high school.
Adjusting to life in Canada was deeply challenging. I struggled with identity, adapting to a new family dynamic, navigating Western societal norms, and enduring several painful experiences of racism. It was through creating art that I found a way to cope with and process these challenges.
My artistic journey has become deeply personal. I have, in many ways, become my own canvas - painting my body and face in ways I never imagined, transforming myself beyond what I once dreamed possible. The process has been profoundly liberating and empowering. Through this work, I celebrate myself and honour my African heritage.
My art has become a bridge back home, reconnecting me to my culture and deepening my appreciation for its richness - especially the strength and beauty of African women. For many years living in Canada, I felt lost and disconnected from my body and myself, carrying a great deal of self-hate.
I hope my art conveys a message of strength, beauty, and positivity - one that resonates with women everywhere.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
630 Yates Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, British Columbia V8W 1K9
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
