How do you build bridges between people? Hear how artist Ebtehal Badwai uses this single question, and countless brush strokes, to bring community members and students together to overcome racism and division. Ebtehal Badwai started the “Pittsburgh Builds Bridges” collaborative art project as a mode to promote anti-bullying and anti-racism.
She was born in Saudi Arabia. Since she was in 5th grade, she always knew that she wanted to be an artist. However, she took a different path and got a bachelor’s degree in
Biology from King Abdul-Aziz University.
She then earned a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. Her career path had guided her to working as a teacher assistant. Still, she always felt that something is missing. So she went on a path of discovery and found an art therapy program. She then took the requirements classes in Art and Psychology to pursue that specialty and is still ongoing in the pursuit of the training.
During her journey, she joined the Malian Art Institute and learned different techniques in painting. The first thing everyone notices about her art is the colorful and uplifting theme carried throughout her work. Her art has become extremely influential and inspiring. Badawi designed a poster for anti-bullying and racism which was posted in different schools in the Pittsburgh area. This was aimed to help kids understand the power of unity and has now turned into a movement to bridge the gap between unification and bullying.
Badawi spans the creative career path by being a writer and a photographer. She enjoys going and spending time in nature connecting with Mother Earth and sharing that experience with the written word.
Her passionate goal is to create art that uplifts and inspire souls. By connecting artists, she aims to share the beauty and the magic of art with the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at [ Ссылка ]
