The Cardinal Times Spring 2021 Issue

PAGE 2 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 PROFILES
Profile: Ava Hudson’s expression through design
By CLAIRE YOO
Hudson wears her Russian Candy Wrapper
Dress, which she was inspired to create after
seeing the intricate patterns in a Russian candy
store.
Courtesy of AVA HUDSON
Even during the hardships of the
Covid-19 pandemic, junior Ava Hudson
continues to flourish with her love for expression
through fashion. Hudson has a
passion for expressing herself through
what she wears.
Hudson grew up in a household valuing
art, and this environment naturally encouraged
her towards exploring different forms
of art. In her early years, she was sent to an
arts-integrated school which allowed her
to carry out projects using her creativity.
Even in her household, she lived in an environment
perfect for focusing on interests
requiring creativity such as playing an instrument,
dancing and drawing.
“My parents restricted how much TV we
were allowed to watch, so when we were
looking for something to do, the natural
thing was to go to the art room. At age eight
or nine, I began to randomly make these
very dramatic, odd gowns that usually fit
horribly, but I took great pride in wearing
them,” says Hudson.
She continued to grow her interest in
art, especially her love for costume design,
both influenced by her family and her experiences
from training as a ballerina for
years.
“[Training for ballet] helped spark my interest
[in] art on the body, since that’s what
dance is in a way. Also, my grandmother is
a professional visual artist and has always
encouraged my sister and me to dive in
when curiosity emerges. My sister and I see
her as a role model because she has demonstrated
that being an artist is a valid and
meaningful career,” says Hudson.
She started off by helping with tasks like
making costumes for school plays at her
arts-integrated school, and she went on to
learning to sew from her mom at age eight,
when she started making clothing for herself.
Since then, she used a technique of trial-and-error
through the help of tutorials
on Youtube.
Carrying on this natural interest for art
and creation derived from her childhood
memories, Hudson continued with her passion
for fashion. One reason why Hudson
became so intrigued with fashion was because
she believes it’s a communal experience
which can also be used as a tool for
self- expression.
“The fact that fashion is becoming much
more inclusive of body types, gender identity,
race and sexuality makes it even more
exciting; if fashion is about self expression,
there’s more opportunity now than ever before,”
says Hudson.
An aspect of fashion design that Hudson
is especially fascinated by is couture:
fashion that is made to fit a client’s specific
requirements and measurements. Couture
is especially eye-catching for Hudson because
all of the pieces are hand-crafted and
unique, making them true pieces of art for
the body.
“To me, couture is an intense sensory
experience, a beautiful art form, and a very
open opportunity for self-expression, all
at the same time. Art and music are both
areas I’ve found I can submerge myself in
with a kind of sensory joy….and making or
watching couture takes the experience up a
notch and overwhelms me even further, in
a good way,” says Hudson.
With the current Covid-19 pandemic, one
might expect that pursuing a passion for
youth might be more challenging than before.
But for Hudson, Covid-19 has felt like
a silver lining with all the time and flexibility
she has gained from her online school
schedule. While being able to gain more
confidence with her work created by the
distance from society’s judgement Covid-19
brings, Hudson has been able to focus more
on bigger projects, like the one she is in the
process of creating.
Continued on Cardinaltimes.org
Portland protest art: a reflection of the
past, present and future
By MEI XU
Walking through downtown Portland,
you might stumble upon a blue mural depicting
the face of a dreaming woman and
an excerpt of the Langston Hughes poem
“Dream” written in cursive. The mural exists
among the many Black Lives Matter
protest art pieces that illustrate the city.
Meet Bernadette Little, the creative behind
the mural.
Little, who is from Baltimore, MD, moved
to Portland in 2017 to work as a graphic designer
and art director. Her passion for art
began in her early childhood and continues
to be an integral part of her, allowing a
channel for self-expression.
“I have always been into the arts. I actually
started out, when I was really young,
as a violinist and then that slowly merged
more into the visual arts… Drawing and
painting are my absolute favorites,” Little
explains. “It has always been my first love
and my way of expressing myself. I have
never been a big extrovert… I’m definitely
not a wordsmith or a poet. My way of expressing
myself has always been through
the visual arts.”
Little credits her love of art, specifically
painting and drawing, to accessibility.
“You don’t need a lot of money, you don’t
need a lot of tools, just whatever you can
make to make a mark,” she says.
And for Little, her inspiration for art is
everywhere.
“Everything is a story. The way that you
move, the way that you act, the way that
people react to you. Everything has something
behind it. I think delving into those
stories in everyday life is what inspires me.”
These days, Little has been concentrating
on the intersection of her diverse passions
and her educational background as a student.
This focus has led her to emphasize
the importance of protest art, a form of expression
that transcends the racial, social
and economic barriers posed against artists
and creatives today.
“I’m also a master’s student and… there
have been some courses where we studied
social change organizations so that on top
of being involved in these mural projects
has really cemented in my brain the transformative
power of protest art. [Protest art
is important] once again for that accessibility
piece and its universal ability to provide
a foundation for somebody to communicate,
for somebody to get their ideas across
that transverses language that transverses
academia and overly complicated ways of
communication. Even within the art world,
the gallery space is a very colonized and
institutionalized space. I think protest art
gives people the ability to take down all
those barriers and express themselves in a
transformative way,” she says.
This summer, Little took to the walls of
Portland to combine her talents with the
push for social justice marked by the Black
Lives Matter protests that flooded the
streets. She began work on one of her protest
art mural projects after fellow muralist
and creative Solamée Souag (@c.hroma on
Instagram) contacted her.
Little’s inspiration behind the mural
is one that echoes the deep history of the
United States, paying homage to the past
civil rights leaders that have fought for
change.
“The times that we live in are nothing
new. They are new to us, but not to the
history of society. I was thinking… the pull
quote from Langston Hughes was indicative
of that,” she says. “It speaks to the fact
that this is a historical moment for us, but
it is building upon the work of so many other
people who have come before us. It is
speaking to what is happening in our time
and what happened in their time.”
But more than just a reflection of the
past, Little’s mural is also indicative of the
future.
“I also wanted [the mural] to be something
slightly optimistic. I wanted it to be
something [that reflects] we are fighting
for a purpose, we are fighting for a cause,
we are fighting for those dreams that we all
still have and can achieve if we all work together,”
she says.
In an effort to achieve this narrative, Little
carefully planned her mural, painting in
blue hues for a dreamy effect and using her
sister as a reference for the sleeping female
figure in the mural.
“I wanted it to be this contemplative piece
that spoke to the past and the potential of
the future. It was super fun to get my sister
involved. The pull quote itself, I reached out
to a friend named Andrea [Cenon] (@andreacenon
on Instagram) who works with
me and is a wonderful hand lettering artist.
I knew that wasn’t my forte. We collabed on
it… and I went down to the space with my
partner and we got it up within a few days.”
Continued on Cardinaltimes.org
To check out more of Bernadette Little’s work,
check out her Instagram @youcancallmebernie
and her website www.youcancallmebernie.com.
Photo by KATE HADDON