Teeyo Williams

Teeyo Williams | Tired | 2025

Your work often speaks to the inner child. What does that phrase mean to you personally?

It speaks to that curious and adventurous spirit. That part of you that turns elevator buttons into a face or sees a scratch on your grandma’s coffee table as an island surrounded by a sea of mahogany colored mud. My intention is to keep that spirit alive, to nurture it, and to speak life into it. I think there’s freedom in remembering that imagination used to be enough. I create spaces and pieces that give people permission to reconnect with that version of themselves, the one that still exists under all the layers.

You describe creativity as your compass. Can you recall a time when it guided you through something difficult?

I recently lost my grandfather and it’s still really new. Some days blur together and emotions show up uninvited. On top of that, the pressure of content creation, trying to keep up, and just existing in the current state of the world; it can be a lot. But creativity has been the one place where I can just be. I’m not creating to avoid it all. I’m creating right in the middle of it. It gives me somewhere to place the feelings, the tension, the confusion. Every time I make something with my hands, I feel grounded.

Teeyo Williams | Big money | 2025

Your art blends storytelling, sculpture, and emotional expression. How do you decide what medium to use for each piece?

There was this one time I was supposed to be at an event, and I started spiraling because I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I could feel that frustration creeping in, but I stopped myself. I thought maybe God is slowing me down on purpose. So I sat at my table and started working on a piece for an upcoming exhibit. It was a turntable I had sculpted out of foam, and I had been stuck trying to figure out what could hold the tonearm. Then I looked over and saw a matchbox just sitting there. It was perfect. Like it had been waiting for me. I ended up making it to the event on time. And stressing would’ve been for nothing. That whole moment reminded me that the medium really does choose me. I don’t force it. I just try to stay present enough to catch the magic when it shows up.

What role does spirituality play in your creative process? Is it intentional or intuitive?

It is both. Sometimes I come to the table with intention, like I am opening the door for something sacred to show up. Other times, it moves through me without warning and I only realize afterward how spiritual the moment really was. Creating feels like a quiet kind of communion. Even in the small things, like gluing something down or choosing a color, there is this deeper conversation happening. I just try to stay open to it because even when it is subtle, it is always there.

Teeyo Williams | Right cornea | 2025

How do children respond to your workshops or exhibitions? Do you have any moments that stayed with you?

I ran a workshop where the kids built their own boats. I brought in all these little materials and let them go wild figuring out how to put it together, testing what floated and what sank. I loved watching them navigate the whole process. The loud ones were leading, the quiet ones started opening up, and before I knew it, they were taking direction from each other and working like a team. One of my kids got frustrated when her boat started taking on water. Before she could storm off, I called her back. We sat down and had a real talk. She was ready to quit, but I saw myself in her at that moment, the way I have to talk myself through setbacks too. We went back and forth, trying to figure out what was going wrong. Sometimes you just have to pause and look at things differently. The fix is not always obvious on the first try. She did not win the race, but she stayed. That was the win for me. Watching her walk away proud not because everything went perfectly but because she pushed through is the kind of moment that sticks with you. That is what keeps me showing up.

Teeyo Williams | Freedom | 2025

What does healing through art look like to you—personally and communally?

Healing through art looks like giving myself permission to be messy and real without judgment. It’s about showing up for the parts of me that hurt, the parts that are scared or broken, and letting them speak through colors, shapes, and textures. Personally, it’s a way to hold space for my own growth and release. Communally, healing through art is about creating a safe place where people can come as they are, share their stories, and find connection without needing words. It’s the unspoken understanding that we all carry wounds, but through creativity and shared experience, we can begin to mend together. It’s messy, it’s beautiful, and it’s necessary.

Teeyo Williams | Fathers Day | 2025

Much of your work carries a sense of layered symbolism. Do you create with specific messages in mind, or do you let the viewer decide?

For the pencil I made for Trinidad James’ Hommewrk store(Atlanta), I didn’t use paint. I used fabric, chains, and old, faded “Admit One” tickets I found in my friend’s garage. The body was wrapped in yellow gator skin, which gave it a bold texture. I added gold chains to the ferrule, not to overdo it, but to nod to All Gold Everything in a subtle, intentional way. I wanted to honor that moment in his career without making it the whole story. The “Admit One” tickets felt symbolic. Even though they all said “one,” there were so many of them. That reminded me of how Hommewrk leans into the idea of learning through experience; how one moment, one lesson, or one person can open the door to more. It felt like a visual way to echo “each one, teach one.” I think he expected a prop, but what he got was a piece of art that felt personal. Unapologetically him. That’s how I create. Sometimes the meaning is clear from the start, and sometimes it finds me while I’m working. Either way, I love how the viewer brings their own experience to it. That exchange keeps the piece alive.