Name/Title
SF Senior Center - Yolande Raes - FridaDescription
Yolande was born and raised in Belgium. She came to the US in 1980 after falling in love with a young American man she met in Brussels. She moved to the States and became a citizen. Yolande lived in Hawaii for a few years where she worked as a floral designer, a career she continued in San Francisco, until she had to give it up for health reasons.
Despite her chronic lower back pain, Yolande learned the art of making paper flowers in the Mexican tradition. Her work was recognized by the curators of the Day of The Dead festivals at SOMArts Cultural Center. Between 2004 and 2008 she created five Rooms for the annual exhibits. She still makes paper roses as gifts for friends on special occasions.
Although Yolande’s parents painted as a hobby, after a disappointing experience in an art class at CCSF, she didn’t paint for several years. She did, however, always watch Bob Ross on TV. Now she is taking an AWE class and enjoying it as much as her back pain permits. “That is why I like Frida Kahlo so much,” she says, “I relate to her!”
