TISA LOEWEN

My father Ditmar immigrated to America from then West Germany.  

My mother is African American and we have genealogy back to the late 1800s which acknowledged my great great grandfather's and grandmother's recent freedom from enslavement and legal right to marry. 

My parents’ union was, for their time, unexpected, but my family sees those ideas as relics of two painful pasts.  

I have never felt incomplete and I don't question if I belong. I am a watercolor artist, but like my life, these art pieces reflect my life's complexity.  

The painting has my father’s family crest from Germany, my name ‘Loewen’ means Lion. There are braids and a large book to represent my mother’s gift of literature to me.  

My genealogical analysis shows roots for both parents in North Carolina, although with very different family histories.   

The photo includes a dish that only I make. It takes days to make the collard greens; I beat the greens and soak them for days. The German Sauerbraten and Kartoffelklösse are also dishes that takes days to make. This combination reflects my deep roots with both cultures.  

Thank you 

Tisa Loewen