High School Student Overcomes Angst with Art

As a child living in the streets of Cameroon, Sedrict-Roy Obi-Tabot (Sed) developed anger, emotional trauma, and stress. He hated school and found himself causing trouble throughout his childhood. Sed and his mother moved to the United States four years ago and found opportunity in the small town of Kirksville, Missouri.

When he walked into Sam Shelley’s art class two years ago, Sed discovered his passion: painting. Despite his difficult childhood, Sed turned his bane into beauty. He expresses his emotion through a paintbrush, and creates stunning portraits.

Painting gives Sed a peace of mind. It relaxes him and it is his favorite way to spend his alone time. He describes it as his “therapy.” When he paints, he does not feel the depression and sadness from his childhood, he feels his love for expression and art. He locks himself in the art room, listens to music, and lets the paintbrush display his passion.

When he is happy, he uses bright colors; when he is feeling down, he uses dark colors. With the exception of particular requests, Sed generally uses females as his choice of models.

Through different role models, such as his mother, he has developed a high respect for women. He portrays their beauty in his paintings. The facial expressions of the people in his paintings is another way Sed shows his mood. He uses sad, blank faces when he is feeling down and expressions of smiles and laughter when he is happy.

The painting pictured below is Sed’s favorite piece of artwork. The painting depicts a woman with her mouth open and her gorgeous eyes enlarged to show an expression of surprise. Sed used loud colors: bright blues, yellows, greens, and reds to outline the woman in the center.

Sed felt surprised with himself for finishing a painting of caramel apples, pictured below. The painting of the apples proved to be a difficult journey for Sed, and he was surprised at how well it turned out. Not only was he impressed with his caramel apple painting, but his work in general. Sed never could have imagined his childhood passion developing into something so beautiful.

Sed uses his talent to express feelings through art, in comparison to how others express their emotions through speeches, written words, or music. His art is more than just art, it is his therapy. Kirksville has been fortunate enough to house such an incredible artist originally from Cameroon. Remember his name, because Sed’s artwork will be around forever.

If you are interested in purchasing an original piece by Sed, contact him on Facebook @SedRoy Obi-Tabot. Check out some photos of his artwork on our website.