.TALIA

By Sam Phiri –

FOMER Zambian Housemate in the Big Brother Africa Star game season 7 Talia Hayward has formed a charitable organisation called Thankful Thinking.
Talia, who is currently in the US, says though she may be living a better life where she is, she will not forget her home Zambia and what challenges children face.
It was after the 91 days thrilling Big Brother experience and exposure that Talia, a naturally creative artist was discovered and claimed by her father’s relatives in the USA to start a new life.
Understanding her passion of art and her home Zambia, Talia who is now engaged to an American, is making use of her gift by making mosaic pictures out of coins!
One can’t just imagine how she came up with such a brilliant idea that has made her remember sharing with children back home.
“I started my art business specialising in mosaics art and mosaic portraits and have an instantly recognisable style,” she says.
Sweet as work might look after placing a final coin to complete a piece; it is not as easy as the eye might enjoy it, she explains: “Portraits in coins take hours of painstaking effort to create and are constructed from hundreds of coins or different mediums such as washers and torn paper. Each mosaic piece is carefully placed, resulting in an impeccable finish.”
Subjects of Talia’s mosaic art portraits range from film and music legends to specially commissioned portraits of families, animals and world leaders. Talia says her pieces are available on request.
She says she can create personal mosaic portraits from life or photographs.
“I decided to create an art collection of portraits made out of pennies of iconic people who have inspired me and have made a positive difference in the world. I am dedicating these portraits to my cause. My fascination with the penny began when I learned US currency.
“Being from Zambia and having copper as the main export, I became curious as to why the penny was the only US coin made out of copper,”
On how her Thankful Thinking Organisation ties up with a penny, Talia says she discovered that a penny is the most wasted coin in the US and people just throw them away or keep them in a jar in their homes
“I wanted to use something that is least valued, but still has a significant purpose for my portraits. I also want to bring awareness that we are a wasteful society and that what we throw away can be absolutely be useful to so many people living in poverty in Africa, Zambia in particular,” she says.
She goes on to say: “There is also a tradition where people throw pennies in a fountain to make a wish so Thankful Thinking got a wishing well fountain where people throw their pennies to make a wish but also help someone else’s wish come true.”
Talia is currently busy with her art works and says a percentage of her art sales will go to Thankful Thinking in Zambia where she is empowering school going children with school materials.