Tigist Yoseph Ron: YAYA

I deeply appreciate my family’s powerful legacy, but I often wish for a lighter burden, a chance to forge my own path. Though my father’s strength and my mother’s spiritual lineage provide confidence, I sometimes feel undeserving, and the weight can be debilitating. I wrestle with balancing my Ethiopian and Jewish heritage, my desire for individuality, and my discomfort when straying too far from my roots. Moving to Israel at seven made me question the coexistence of Ethiopian and Israeli cultures. Now, I try to reconcile these influences with my fascination for Black American culture. As I raise my children, I wonder if they need deeper cultural grounding to thrive. Ultimately, a transcendent force moves my hand to the canvas, beyond any singular identity.

– Tigist Yoseph Ron