Kibian Adams-Greene: Healing Through Art

August 06, 2020

By June P. Johnson

“The biggest impact has been not being able to visit my wards in person as part of my duty as guardian,” says Adams-Greene. “My wards are vulnerable. They reside in group homes and nursing homes, so they are at risk even when we are not in the midst of a global crisis. Many of them cannot understand the changes that we’ve had to undergo. Their daily activities such as attending day programs have been nixed. We have to be more vigilant now than ever to make sure they’re protected.”

The daughter of immigrants, Adams-Greene has always had to dig deep, marshal her inner strength, and figure things out. What uplifts her spirit and keeps her moving forward is her art.

“I began painting in 2015 after a series of devastating losses. I needed something to focus on other than death,” Adams-Greene says. “I was in my late 40s. I think this is important to mention because people should know that you’re never too old to discover something new about yourself. Since then I’ve been featured in several juried exhibitions, including one in New York in 2018. I’m part of a collective of abstract artists in the District, and I recently signed a lease on studio space that I haven’t had the pleasure of using yet due to COVID-19.”

During this time of uncertainty, once again Adams-Greene turned to her art for solace. “My art has been a source of great healing in my life, and I thank God for it. It is when I feel most connected to spirit. It is comforting and freeing, and in this very uncertain world, it’s one thing I can control.”

“I’ve always known that art is necessary. I think more people are paying attention now. Artists give people a bit of hope, I think, and a bit of distraction. I love that. But more importantly, art is a movement. It’s an important component of the social justice movement, whether through visual arts, music, theater, poetry, literature, etc.,” Adams-Greene continues. “So here we have not just a pandemic, but also the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks and the national uprisings. As an artist, I have a voice to use. The voice doesn’t have to shout. A flower can bring joy, and joy is a form of protest, especially for the oppressed. So I paint. Whatever I feel like. Every piece that comes out of me is coming from a place of pain and joy and love and sadness and oppression and anger and blackness anyway, because that’s who I am.”

Adams-Greene is not only a dynamic artist and lawyer, but also a caring mother and teacher. While many are grappling with whether to homeschool their children, Adams-Greene has already created an unconventional classroom for her two school-age children. For several months out of each of the past three years, she traveled with her children to exotic locales such as Colombia and Cuba to give them the experience of living the pages of their history books. Since most travel has halted, Adams-Greene has established a more structured environment for her children at home.

What advice would Adams-Greene give to others trying to maintain a healthy outlook during the pandemic? “You have to dig deep. Lean into your faith, whatever that means for you. Be gentle with yourself. Reach out to others. Call, don’t text. Allow yourself to cry and mourn. Have the pity party. Just don’t stay there,” she says.

Adams-Greene says it’s time to accept that this may very well be the new normal. “Humans have had to adapt throughout history. So how do we adapt? That should be the focus. What do we teach our children? How do we prepare them for an uncertain future? Most importantly, help others. There’s a single mom out there who needs to work but can’t afford a nanny, doesn’t have a support system, and school’s online. That there’s always someone worse off is not just a cliché. It’s the truth,” she adds.

Check out Adams-Greene’s art at Kibianadamsstudio.com.

June P. Johnson is an attorney, yoga instructor, and founder of True Bliss Television.