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Ever since setting the Guinness World Record for largest drawing created by an individual last July, Dr. Fola David has been travelling the world, inspiring others to find creativity in themselves. Now, the artist and dermatologist will be bringing his inspiring message to Winnipeg this weekend in association with Africanad and the Creative Foundation, a local charity dedicated to inspiring youth through education and multicultural unity.
“It’s going to be me telling my story, my journey, showing the skills and the things that have helped me along the way to maintaining a successful medical career and a successful art career at the same time,” Dr. David said in an interview on Morning Light, “and also how you can use those skills in other areas of your life.”
Listen to Dr. Fola David's full conversation with Nolan Kehler here!
The nature of the record-breaking piece fits perfectly with Dr. David’s inspiring message. Entitled “The Unity of Diversity”, the work spans 10,814.5 square feet and features a map of his home country of Nigeria and the over 250 unique cultures that comprise it.
“I set out to create a map that showed all these cultures in their geographical locations to remind us about our heritage, about how beautiful we are as a country because of our diversity, and how this diversity should be the strength and not a source of division in the country,” David says of the project, which took him six days of nonstop work to complete.
The uplifting nature of David’s art is something that he also puts to use in his medical practice. He notes that the primary use for his art is to raise awareness about skin conditions and the stigma that surrounds them, particularly in Nigeria. “I use my art to show them the beauty in their uniqueness, the beauty in their diversity, also,” explains David.
“One very important thing about being a physician is your patients’ trust in you... giving them that confidence in you to open up and share their story,” he continues. “Seeing me as someone who uses everything I have to advocate and to share their stories, they open up a lot more to me. They are more willing to receive treatment. They’re also more responsive to treatments. So, it really makes my job much easier.”
Winnipeg audiences will get the chance to hear Dr. David’s inspiring message and to interact with his artistry at the Creative Foundation Centre at 1615 St. Mary’s Road from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 23. The event is free and open to all ages with no prior registration required. More information is available at the Creative Foundation’s website.