Art is a powerful tool of expression. The hopes we have in the past can shape our futures. The ability to create something new or better depends on our ability to imagine it. These ideas and the prompt of what it means to dream while Black are at the core of Union Station’s art exhibit, Black Dreams and Aspirations, sponsored by TD, co-curated in partnership with MakeRoom Inc.

We were delighted to speak with Theodore Walker Robinson, one of the artists for the exhibit, about what Black Dreams and Aspirations means to them. Their featured artwork, entitled A Braille Transcription, is a contracted Braille Transcription of Langston Hughes poem “Dreams.” By transcribing this poem and making it accessible to the Blind community, Theodore wishes to inspire Blind, low vision and visually impaired Black people to never defer their dreams and to treat every idea as a world of ardent possibility that requires sustenance to live and grow.

What was the inspiration behind your art showcased in the Black Dreams and Aspirations exhibit?

My inspiration for the piece was the prompt given by MakeRoom for the art call, which was the poem “Dreams” by Langston Hughes. I decided to transcribe it to braille to make it accessible. Within the black community I am underrepresented – I don’t find a lot of people like me. Growing up I didn’t have a lot of resources to accommodate me and give me access to things like poems, and the knowledge one can get from poems. If I was able to read by feeling I would have had access earlier.

What message or emotion do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your artwork?

I define my art practice as activism. A process and practice of abolition – such as reform of justice and other systems of oppression like ableism. I am obsessed about the concept of blind liberation. I want folks – especially those who are blind or visually impaired, to come away walking with a feeling of liberation within themselves. A feeling of “what would it mean if I had no barriers, no limitation – what would I offer the world if I have pure blind liberation”. I think this motivation will cause change. I want people to feel inspired to act in a way which is meaningful to them. If they are low vision and perhaps feel unconfident, I want them to come away feeling like “I can do anything, and no one can tell me what I can’t do”.

The muse for the work I do is understanding what blind liberation means. In the past year I have started learning braille to understand this. I was born low vision and a have a congenital condition, so my act of learning braille is my act of giving myself access to things that I will lose as I age. I prompt others to integrate access and accessible knowledge into their daily lives and pass this knowledge to other people in their lives. My practice is a testament to how we – people with all levels of abilities – can work together to uplift each other. And so far, my answer to what blind liberation means is to become free by feeling. What would it be like to walk through life and have all your needs met by feeling.

What inspired you to become an artist and how does your identity influence your work?

I have always been an artist. Art for me was a safe place where I found no judgement, specifically in music. Growing up I played classical piano, taught myself guitar, I sang. It’s been with me throughout my entire life, and I always come back to my practice when I’m trying to learn something new and access knowledge.

How do you think that art has the power to inspire change in society?

Art can inspire, motivate, and stand as a call to action. If I didn’t read the poem “Dreams” I wouldn’t have been inspired and called to move on in my artistic career. Using artistic work and practice has been a way for me to access parts of myself and knowledge that has not been easily available to me.

Art has a way of disarming, re-framing, and challenging us to see futures which are possible. It forces us to imagine and place ourselves in that imagination.

Thank you, Theodore, for taking the time to speak with us about your artwork showcased in the Black Dreams and Aspirations exhibit. You can find Theodore’s art in the West Wing of Union Station from now until August. Stop by today to experience it yourself.

Click here for more information about Union’s Black History Month exhibit.