A Time of Delivery

By Hailey Stangebye

Photos courtesy of Wendy Kendrick

When asked to choose a piece for The Gallery at Gateway Film Center, Wendy Kendrick ultimately settled on “Nona.”

“Nona” is Latin for nine or ninth. It refers, specifically, to the ninth month of pregnancy. That’s significant because, for Wendy, this piece represents a time of delivery in her life. She originally created it as one of a 12-part series for an exhibit called “#[un]Defined Visible/Invisible Black Woman,” which opened in March of 2017 in Oakland, California.

Since then, that original exhibit has grown and traveled across the country. In November of 2017, the show opened right here in Columbus.

“I feel like I’m really at one of the best places I’ve been in my journey as an artist. A lot of the things that challenged me when I was young in the arts no longer challenge me. ‘Nona,’ as a piece, speaks to that deliverance. A time of delivery.”

“For me, it was a time of delivery, both in terms of my work and in terms of where I am as an artist,” Wendy says. “I feel like I’m really at one of the best places I’ve been in my journey as an artist. A lot of the things that challenged me when I was young in the arts no longer challenge me. ‘Nona,’ as a piece, speaks to that deliverance. A time of delivery.”

Wendy calls this style of artwork a “quilted portrait mask” because it’s highly influenced by the African masks that she’s studied over the course of her life.

Today, Wendy is a full-time mixed media and textile artist based in Columbus, where she’s resided for more than 25 years.

Wendy’s Work

Wendy’s work is on display through February at The Gallery at the Gateway Film Center.