Talia Hodge (b.1995)
Spring Rain (2021), Hope Blooms (2019), Flourish (2021)
Materials & Dimensions: Digital photographs, each 18" x 24"
Location at Summa Health: Barberton Joint Center for Excellence, hallway outside Family Lounge
About the Art and Artist
Talia Hodge’s striking digital photographs immerse viewers in the quiet beauty of the natural world, capturing the interplay of light, color, and texture in the everyday. Through her lens—whether using a mobile phone or a digital SLR—Hodge draws attention to details often overlooked, transforming simple moments into vibrant compositions.
In Spring Rain, droplets of water cling to evergreen boughs, catching the light as they prepare to slip from the needles. A shallow depth of field isolates the foreground, allowing the textures of the needles and glistening beads of water to take center stage. The contrast between the sharply focused branch on the right and the softly blurred background invites the viewer to pause and appreciate nature’s quiet rhythms.
Hope Blooms, created several years earlier, offers a dramatic study of a single yellow tulip, its petals luminous against a deep black background. The flower appears partially in view, balanced by hints of others at the frame’s edges. This composition heightens the visual tension, emphasizing the curve of the tulip’s stem and the delicate droplets resting on its surface.
In Flourish, Hodge brings us up close to the sculptural form of a Monstera leaf, a favorite of indoor gardeners. The vibrant greens and intricate vein patterns lead the eye along its contours, culminating in a bright central ridge that draws attention upward. The interplay of light and shadow creates a dynamic composition, where the leaf’s sinuous edge carves out a bold negative space—a playful visual twist.
Hodge earned her B.A. in Photo Illustration from Kent State University, where she was awarded the prestigious Wallace Hagedorn Scholarship for Photography. In 2022, she received a Reimagine Fellowship from the Akron Black Artists Guild, funded by the Ohio Arts Council, which supported her work documenting the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron.
Where to See More of This Artist’s Work
Hodge has exhibited regularly in the Akron area, participating in exhibitions with the Akron Black Artists Guild, Akron Soul Train, and Summa Gallery’s Enhancing Our Mood (2022). Her website reflects both the breadth of her work and her engaging personality—including a playful series of still-life compositions that highlight her keen eye and sense of humor.
The Healing Arts at Summa Health
- Next featured artist: Christopher Hoot
- Homepage: summahealth.org/art
- More artwork in new patient tower