“When you share the first cup of tea you are a stranger, with the second cup you are a friend, and with the third cup you become family.”
Growing up in a tea-drinking family didn’t help me to acquire a refined taste for tea; however, it gave me a lot of opportunities to see various shapes of teapots… Instead of enjoying the substance within the teapot, I was fascinated by the varieties of teapots: their shapes, their colours and their stories.
I read the book Three Cups of Tea in preparation to travel over to Niger almost 15 years ago. The author – Greg Mortenson – wrote about what he learned from a very different culture than he was used to. He wrote, “When you share the first cup of tea you are a stranger, with the second cup you are a friend, and with the third cup you become family.” I started to develop an appreciation of the culture of tea and the gestures that are communicated through it. And I had the first-hand experience while I was in Niger the following year. Offering someone tea is serious business, and it’s very intentional!
Two years ago, I did a series of teapots/coffee pots inspired by all the multicultural groups I work with. I recognized that each teapot/coffee pot in each culture has its own unique shape, size and colours. My fascination with teapots was rekindled! At the same time, it dawned on me that though teapots from different cultures have their uniqueness, they carry a universal meaning: it’s an icon of hospitality, a welcoming gesture given to another. When someone offers us a cup of tea or coffee, they are inviting us for a journey of acceptance and trust. The book Three Cups of Tea came back to my mind, and the image of a teapot/coffee pot took on a new meaning!
My friends who work at All Nations Centre had the desire to do a mural outside their building to indicate that their intention is to welcome people from all walks of life. They reached out to me for ideas… it ended up being a 2-year planning and shaping process that lasted until this spring. Since I am not a mural artist, I did a lot of research and consultation. Finally, we were good to go! With a trembling heart and a lot of helping hands, we finally painted the mural onto a set of panels that will be mounted outside the building before autumn sets in.
Regions of the world represented by each teapot/coffee pot:
