Expressive release for Catholic nuns in Senegal
In December 2021 during a French lesson at the Institut Français in Saint-Louis, I found myself sitting beside a Catholic nun recently arrived from India. Both J. and I were relieved to be able to communicate in English, she experiencing somewhat of a culture shock and myself having barely spoken a word of English since my arrival in the country several weeks previously.
With an ongoing enthusiasm for taking art into communities that ordinarily have little or no access to hands-on creativity, I was curious to strike up a connection with what, on first naive impression, seemed an unlikely group of Indian Catholic nuns working in Africa. (I’ve since learnt however, that Catholic sisters have been around in Africa since 1822 … and that Christians – mainly Catholics – make up 5% of Senegal’s population.)
And so a conversation with J. between French grammar exercises lead to an afternoon at the Dispensaire Keur Sœur in the heart of one of Saint-Louis’ many deprived areas. Overworked and under-resourced, the 10 or so nuns I worked with rose to the opportunity of stopping the clock for a few hours and giving themselves permission to be creative for the sake of stress release and some pure fun. Dispensary front door locked to patients and a bit of furniture rearranging in the cool of the courtyard, the eagerness to express collaboratively using bright-coloured pastels and long-handled paint brushes resulted in a beautiful piece. ‘Esperance’ now adorns the central waiting area for patients and staff alike to enjoy.
