Gloria O’koye highlights the power of those who are silent, marginalized, and oppressed

BY PAUL JUNOR

Gloria O’koye (a.k.a G.LGlowz) continues to use the power of her voice to tap into the creativity and ingenuity of the voiceless and unheard in our society.

The Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist believes in the power of storytelling and artistic expressions as a powerful vehicle to shed light on social and cultural realities. In the January 23^rd, 2020 edition of the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, the article titled, “Gloria O’Okoye (Aka Glowz)” shared how she overcame rape to become an author of two self-published books, “A Kintsugi Memoir” and “Hood Chronicles.”

Since then, the Toronto-born artist continues to explore uncharted territories to tap into her creativity. She still maintains the importance of her mantra, “Know your value. Know that your voice matters, and that your story matters.” She is one of the artists of the website: vibearts.ca, which showcases, “Talented Emerging Artists work to develop their crafts while gaining experience as Arts Educators.” She is part of an important art exhibit at the Meridan Centre of Arts in Toronto with vibe arts, which runs from March 16^th, 2022, to March 30^th, 2022. The theme of the exhibit is the power and influence of Afrofuturism.

I interviewed Gloria on Tuesday, March 22^nd, 2022, and she informed me of her ongoing work as an artist highlighting the power of those who are silent, marginalized, and oppressed. She visits inmates in federal and provincial prisons in Canada and the United States to provide support to those who are incarcerated. She is motivated to become an advocate for those who are in jail, and she has a strong desire to ensure that they are seen as humans.

For Gloria, it is important to humanize those who society deemed as criminals to affirm their dignity, humanity, and personhood. Her main focus is reaching out to the Indigenous and Black population, as there is an overrepresentation of them in the prison populations across North America. She told me that she is working on her third book titled, “Kintsugi Reflections of Hood Chronicles,” expected release in 2022. She told me, it would be, “A collection of short stories based on the story of Diablo.”

She is part of Book Club which will run from March 12^th, 2022 – April 30^th, 2022, for youths aged 16-20+. Participants will learn about self-awareness, emotional regulation, self-expression, healthy relationships, and community safety. The Community Healing Project sponsors it. In addition, she hosts an IG TV series that highlights individuals who have been incarcerated to amplify their stories and highlight businesses that they started.

Anyone interested in the phenomenal work that artist G.L Glowz is doing can check:

Instagram: @Author_Glowz

Twitter: @GowxCMA

Facebook: G.L.Glowz