Yogi Dada is an Alabama Maker who turns items into works of wearable and visual art
Portrait created by Birmingham artist and spoken word artist Yolanda Carter. Yogi Dada is the name she penned as her stage or creative name. (Keisa Sharpe)
Yogi Dada (Center Point)
The Maker: Yolanda Carter aka “Yogi Dada”
Beautiful things can be born out of personal pain. Just ask Birmingham artist Yolanda Carter, best known by her customers, fellow artists and fan base as Yogi Dada.
She creates hand-painted, original wood works of art as earrings and bracelets and even pictures. But her resume is only limited by her imagination. In her own words, she will paint anything.
Yogi has always had a gift to paint and it was recognized by her mother when she was very young. But her brushes laid on the shelf for a while. When her mom died from breast cancer, she was devastated but even in her trying time, she picked her crafty tools back up again to honor her parent, whom she also called her friend. It was a further extension of their unbreakable bond.
Yogi Dada prides herself on original pieces for her customers – whether jewelry or paintings – that no one else will ever see. Not only is it an artistic expression; painting is her passion.
In addition to local customers who regularly purchase from her at pop-up shops and online, her celebrity product buyers (and wearers) include actress Countess Vaughn, singer Melanie Fiona, singer Natalie “The Floacist” of the group Floetry and comedienne and actress Adele Givens.
“I’m showcasing for a number of upcoming events,” said Carter. “Nov. 2, my work will be featured for a fundraiser for the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College and I’ll also be the featured Artist at Design Supply at Pepper Place. My art will also be showcased soon at the prestigious Gallery 1930. I’m looking forward to more gallery showcases and obtaining an agent/manager.”
She also has a collaborative painting with Artist Jon Osborne that hangs in the gift shop at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
As for the future, expansion remains on the mind of this local artist.
“I look forward to sharing my designs on apparel and to sharing more artistic talks with our youth. I think that’s everything!”
Yogi Dada’s pieces can be purchased online and at festivals and art shows around town.
The product: Colorful earrings, bracelets and paintings in an array of shapes, themes and designs.
Take home: A colorful pair of “Horizon” Diddies for $45.
Contact: Products can be found on her website at www.yogidada.com, Facebook and Instagram.
