participating artists 2020
CaFAfair Barbados MARCH 11-15, 2020
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Carl F. Anderson - GuyanaCarl Anderson received his early art education at the Burrowes School of the Arts in Guyana. He later immersed himself in the Latin American art milieu by living for 13 years in Venezuela. Known internationally for his bold geometric “Ribbon Series” as well as striking photo realistic paintings, Carl’s work has been exhibited widely in Europe, North and South America, including the Malta Biennale, Italy’s Grolla D’Oro and the Guyana National Art Gallery. In 2010 Carl produced a sensational series of works tackling the controversial subject of domestic violence. His work was recently selected to represent the Americas at the 8th Beijing Art Biennale, 2019 China.
Carla Armour - Dominica
Carla Armour is a visual artist currently living in Brighton, England. After graduating from Parsons School of Design (NYC) in the 80’s she returned to her Caribbean Island, Dominica where she immersed herself in the island’s Art scene finding her message through abstract symbolism in mixed media paintings, fashion, Conceptual and Installation art, poetry and spoken word performances. Armour continues to work within her Lifelines series; employing tribal symbols and prehistoric glyph images and markings. Her current work, ‘Resonance’, explores the use of ritual elements and sacred spaces and objects to imbed messages into her pieces. She has participated in shows and exhibitions over the years in the Caribbean, US, Europe & Namibia, some of which included the International Art Project ‘Women of the World, a global collection of Art’, submissions and readings for Literary Festivals, an International Artist Exchange, ‘Carambolage’ with 8 artists from Austria and Dominica.
Diogenes Ballester – Puerto Rico
Diogenes Ballester, visual artist, educator, and writer holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BFA from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico. He has taught as Professor of Art at The Cooper Union in New York City, the State University of New York at New Paltz, the College of New Rochelle and The State University of New York at Albany. Mr. Ballester’s work explores oral history, memory, mythology, ritual, and cultural identity along a transnational spectrum. In recent exhibitions, he has appropriated cultural objects and historical artifacts together with painting, drawing, prints and new media as a way of accessing the past and re-interpreting the present in a trans-Caribbean dialogue. Ballester has received numerous honors for his artistic work and has exhibited widely in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. His work is in numerous private and public collections.
Black Art Studios – Barbados
Oneka Small
Barbadian artist and curator Oneka Small was born to a family of creatives. In 1991 she gained a Barbados Exhibition scholarship with an A in art under the tutalege of artist Nick Whittle. Oneka attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and while taking foundation courses in art she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Design in Environmental Planning before returning home to Barbados. Oneka worked in the environment field professionally and continued her art on the side. Art was however always in her heart so when the Curator of the Barbados Gallery of Art asked Oneka to work for them she left the environmental field and returned professionally to art at the administrative and curatorial level. Since then Oneka has traveled across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Thailand, and China in her quest for cultural knowledge. In 2002 she completed a Masters in Museum and exhibition design at the Hull School of Architecture, returning to Barbados to build her business and home life with husband Kenneth “Black” Blackman and son Shaka. It was during the period 2011- 2013 that Oneka developed her own style of painting. Heavily encouraged and influenced by Black and his belief in her. In 2012 Oneka and Black represented Barbados at the 2012 Olympic Games-ARTs and Culture. Her piece was called ‘My Prayer’. In 2013 Oneka received a Best in Show award for ‘I Give Thanks’ during the National Culture Foundation’s Crop Over exhibition. Oneka has produced and sold numerous pieces during her life to date and her work can be found in private collections locally and internationally.
Patricia Brintle - Haiti
Self-taught artist Patricia Brintle was born in Haiti and immigrated to the United States in 1964. Although she has made the U.S. her residence, her colorful style reflects her native land. Her works on the Holocaust are on permanent display at the Holocaust Center of Temple Judea in New York and are used as teaching tools for visitors. One of her religious works, The First Mother, travelled with the Black Madonna Exhibit which made its debut at the famed National Museum of Catholic Art and History in New York and toured museums throughout the United States. One of her paintings hangs in the permanent collection of Albert Schweitzer Institute in Hamden, Connecticut, and her images have been published in both secular and religious periodicals.
Gharan Burton - Dominica
Gharan Burton is an academically trained artist who resides in the US most of the year but spends winter months in the Caribbean. Born and raised in Dominica, Gharan attended college in the US where his studies focused mostly on painting and sculpture. He enjoys painting the figure, still lives, landscapes and abstract experimental works. Vibrant colors inspired by his island upbringing, dominate Gharan's paintings. He also employs various techniques of pigment application and layering in order to create texture in his work. A true renaissance man at heart, Gharan is also currently a landscaper, in the upstate NY region of Plattsburgh. A strong connection to the land has also inspired Gharan to embark on a cocoa project, to grow cocoa on family land in order to someday start a chocolate business. Gharan's sculptures range from very small table-top pieces and wall hangings to large scale outdoor works. Whether landscaping, or planting fields of cocoa in Dominica, the artist’s eye and hand are ever present in Gharan's work.
Shadrach Burton - Dominica
Born October 1986, Shadrach Burton is a visual artist from Wotten Waven, Dominica. His older brother Gharan, along with his father David, are artists also, and this was a key factor in his art collection currently dating back to 1994. After being introduced to Earl Etienne and Ellingsworth Moses in the year 2000, he was participating in exhibitions at the age of 13 and has since stacked up over 50 exhibitions including 6 solo art shows. He recently graduated with a master’s degree in fine art after studying for 7 years in Hangzhou, China. Before going to pursue studies in China, in 2007, Shadrach majored in Biology and Physics and even taught high school biology for 3 years. He currently produces art using a style that is influenced by nature, music, pop culture, social commentary and his odd sense of humor.
Cher Antoinette Corbin – Barbados
This Barbadian daughter is a mother of two, a forensic scientist and is a multiple silver and bronze award winner at the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA). An Honors Graduate in Chemistry from UWI Cave Hill Campus, in 1989 Cher gained the position of being the first Forensic Scientist in Barbados having achieved her Master of Forensic Science from Kings College, University of London. She has since had a long and rewarding career in the field and is presently the Director of the Forensic Sciences Centre, Office of the Attorney General. An accomplished visual artist and author, Cher’s works have been published in St. Somewhere Online Literary Journal, Blackberry: The Magazine, and in four anthologies – Bamboo Press – ‘She Sex’, The National Cultural Foundation’s – ‘Winning Words’, “She Speaks – Woman’s Journal” and ‘Senseisha’ – An Anthology on the sensuality of the Barbadian Woman. In December 2013, Cher self-published an anthology of poetry called MY SOUL CRIES and in 2014 VIRTUALIS – The Love Story and VIRTUALIS – The Anthology. Her primary media for visual art is Watercolor and she has been exploring Pen/Ink & WC Wash. Her latest self-published anthology “Architects of Destiny” was launched at CaFA Fair Barbados 2015. Cher has since been the subject of 2 solo exhibitions; at the UWI Cave Hill, Barbados and the OAS Marcus Garvey Hall of Culture, Washington DC.
Deisha Dare – Trinidad & Tobago
Deisha Baxam of Sangre Grande, Trinidad, has always been inspired by art and fashion. In 2010, the same year she founded her own fashion company, Deisha Dare Designs, Deisha dared to launch a fashion show entitled “The Serengeti”, inspired by the theme from the Serengeti plains of Africa. This young star went even further in 2013 to represent Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies International Festival at Canoe Bay Beach Resort, Tobago, where on the runway she displayed her costume designs which were also featured on the road for Trinidad Carnival Celebrations 2014 in the band Petlemas. No stranger to high-end fashion, Deisha has worked closely with top designers such as Fashion Dandy, Deson Ayinde Sealey, Sheldon Warner, and Richard Noel, among many others. She was able to create remarkable pieces for clients she never thought she would be able to interact with. Some of these are Gage Amighty (Jamaica Dancehall Artiste), Skinny Banton (Grenada), Wave Element (Barbados), Whiteflag Entertainment, HS Productions, Fantasy Faces, Orlando Octive, Super Star Ray (Synergy), Code 202 Productions, Patrice Roberts, Dkrewe mas band, ekon Sta (Soca Artist), and SYO, just to name a few.
Victor Davson - Guyana
Victor Davson is a practicing artist and formerly founding director of Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in Newark, New Jersey. He is currently Co Director of Express Newark. He was born in Georgetown, Guyana and since immigrating to the United States in 1973 he has received a BFA degree from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York; co-founded Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in 1983; and established himself in his practice as an artist. His work is heavily influenced by the anti-colonial politics of the Caribbean, and by the intellectual powerhouses of that period. These include extraordinary writers and activists like Martin Carter, Frantz Fanon and Walter Rodney. Since 1996, his series of paintings and drawings, which include the Limbo/Anansi drawings, Bad Cow Comin’ paintings, and his most recent paintings on long playing vinyl record album covers, are his attempt as an artist to negotiate the roots of identity in a terrain of loss and desire. All of these series are a response to his strong memories from his childhood in Guyana of a folk performance in which the participants masqueraded from house to house on Christmas Day. He sees these carnivalesque characters as metaphors for people of the African Diaspora who have survived because of their resiliency.
Francks Francois Deceus - Haiti
Born in Haiti in 1966, Décéus and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine years old. It was not until he graduated from Long Island University with a degree in Sociology that he turned to making art as a career. Stylistically his work incorporates many of the influences and aesthetic forms of the 40’s and 50’s visual artists like William Johnson and Jacob Lawrence, which reverberates with some of the artistic strains of his native Haiti. His modernist style combines figurative, abstract and layered elements and relies heavily on a simplification of form and function. Décéus was profiled in a 1998 issue of the International Review of African American Art as “one of the leading young modern painters of his generation, whose work depicts a high degree of sensitivity to social issues and his culture”. He was featured in “100 New York Painters”, an extensive survey of significant New York painters and their widely diverse works. The Brooklyn Academy of Music and Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York have commissioned his paintings. His work is in the permanent collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Xavier University and a legion of private collections.
Minna Dunn – Barbados
Minna Dunn was born and raised on Long Island in a household with Barbadian roots. Dunn’s affair with art started as a collector and after meeting master artist Frank Frazier in 1992, she started a career as an art dealer. Over the last eight years with extensive exposure to artists from across the globe and with the mentoring of noted Brazilian painter Ernani Silva, Dunn has been inspired to explore her creative side. The outcome has been a body of art using acrylic paint and mixed media collage on paper. Women’s clothing, sisterhood and unity have been the themes often seen in her artwork.
Earl Darius Etienne – Dominica
Born in Massacre, on the west coast of the island of Dominica and currently living in Mahaut, Earl received training at the Jamaica School of Art, now the Edna Manley School of Visual Arts. Etienne is known for his trademark technique called bouzaille or flambeau, a method of using a carbon flame to apply forms to canvas. Although he likes to say, he works primarily at "Self-Government," he has managed to extend himself into many areas in service to his fledgling nation and presently works as senior cultural officer, painter / coordinator of events / curator/ carnival costume designer / art graphic consultant/ set designer / founding member of associations related to preservation and cultural awareness of historical and architectural heritage.
Ras Ilix Heartman – Barbados
Ras Ilix Heartman, wood sculptor and farmer, was born in Barbados. His first international exposure was at the Third Havana Biennial in Cuba which was followed by the “In The Spirit Festival" at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Since then his work has been exhibited at numerous exhibitions in Barbados and in the U.S. His sculpture Melchizedek was awarded "Best In Show" at the 1997 Black History Month Exhibition held at New York’s Hintersteiner Gallery in Washington Heights. Ras Ilix’ 2012 solo show received critical acclaim at the Queen’s Park Gallery in Barbados. His sculptures are a part on many private and public collections including the Barbados National Collection.
Margaret Herbert – Barbados
This award-winning artist fell in love with the manipulation of fabric at the age of 14. She has since evolved into someone who is constantly seeking new ways to push the limits of her medium. The surface design techniques she employs include tie dye, batik, hand painting, three-dimensional embroidery, fabric collage, fabric sculpture, applique, reverse applique, embroidery and many more. This self-taught artist is inspired by Barbados’ beautiful landscape and the fragments of our rich African heritage which have survived, and she frequently expressed these ideas in clothing and accessories, home decor items, wall hangings and sculpture. She pushes the boundaries of her medium when she crafts pieces for exhibition and therefore makes a point to enter shows held at many of the island’s galleries
Kenneth Hillman - Martinique
Mr. Hillman was trained in Paris, France, where he has continued to live and work. His contemporary style of painting maintains the brilliant color palette clearly influenced by his Caribbean origins. His work can be found in a number of private and public collections in the Caribbean and Europe.
Bernard Stanley Hoyes - Jamaica
Bernard Hoyes lives and works in Palm Springs, California. However, his career in art began at an early age in Kingston, Jamaica when he enrolled at The Institute of Jamaica, Junior Art Center. At fifteen years old he moved to New York City to continue his academic and artistic endeavors. Classes at the Art Students League introduced him to the art scene in N.Y.C. He continued his studies at Vermont Academy, in Saxton River, VT and in 1974, he received a B.F.A. in Painting from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Hoyes is particularly known for a body of work that recalls his Afro-Caribbean roots, specifically the rituals of African Spirituality and Christianity. This body of work has earned him multiple awards of excellence internationally. Hoyes has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the globe. He has created murals in the inner city of Los Angeles, CA, has curated exhibitions and served on the board of the Museum of African American Art in Los Angeles. His works have been featured in numerous television and film productions, as well as collected internationally.
Collette Jones-Chin – Anguilla/Guyana
Collette graduated from the Burrowes School of Art (BSA), Guyana, with a Diploma in Painting and Graphic Arts and with a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) in Art Education and Painting from the University of Guyana (UG). Collette is as an Author, Educator, Writer of Plays & Poetry, Visual Artist, Dramatist, Arts Therapist, Interior, Set & Costume Designer and Director / Producer of Theatrical Productions. She has performed and worked in over 150 Theatrical Productions and has mounted several one woman and group exhibitions across the Caribbean Region and in North & South America. She was instrumental in the establishment of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama in Guyana where she served as the first Director of Studies, Lecturer of Design and Production Management and Festivals Director. Collette is presently the Director & Executive Producer of her own company SEÑOJ CREATIONS. She is also the recipient of many Awards in the Theatre Arts, Visual Arts and Playwriting. Presently residing in Anguilla, she was honored as one of the top eighteen Enterprising Women of 2018 and is the Coordinator of YOUTH CREATE Theatre Arts Programme organized by the Department of Youth and Culture, Anguilla. She is the mother of Charisma Jones-Chin.
Robert Joyette – St. Vincent
Robert A. Joyette, fondly known as “Brooks”, was born in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He began from a very tender age exploring cartoons and animation characters such as Batman and Robin, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Boy and many more. It was always his dream and aspiration to become a professional artist. He set out on his journey in 1997 to enroll in a four-year program at the only art school in the English-speaking Caribbean at the time, Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, Jamaica. While there, he underwent rigorous courses such as 3D and 2D, and all the intros of the departments of Painting, Visual communication, Graphics, Art Education, Ceramics, Photography, and all liberal arts courses.
He holds fond memories of his time at the Edna Manley College and considers it one of the major landmarks of his career. It offered the opportunity to refine his abilities and exhibit his work to an appreciative audience. Robert now strives to encourage young talents in honing their craft while continuing to develop his painting style and building a body of work.
Hedy Klineman – Barbados/USA
Born in Hamburg, Germany and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Hedy Klineman graduated from Cooper Union, NYC, where she encountered the maximalist, full canvas Abstract Expressionism that has shaped her style. Hedy’s works have been exhibited at the Whitney, Rubin, Hood, Tibet House and Vizcaya Museums, among others, and she has enjoyed solos exhibitions at the Bridgewater Lustberg Gallery, Benrimon Contemporary, Dorothy Blau and Vered Modern, as well as internationally. Her work has been inspired in recent years by the ethereal figure of the Buddha further infused by the creative nourishment provided by her winter sojourns in Barbados. When the USA elected its first African American President in 2007-08, Hedy became fascinated with the spirituality of another place, Africa, and the masks of Gabon and the Ivory Coast. These common threads of spirituality combine the sublime and every-day, the personal and political, as well as bear a strong influence on the many enchanting phases of Hedy’s career.
Glen Martin – Trinidad & Tobago
Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and currently living in New York City, Glen Martin is a multitalented artist that works in a variety of media, including figurative painting, illustration and crafts. Early recognition of his talent won him a full scholarship to the prestigious Pratt Institute where he earned his degree in painting and illustration. His paintings continue to be exhibited and collected in North America, Trinidad & Tobago, and beyond.
David “Guru” McClean – Barbados
Guru holds a Masters Diploma in Fine Art from Scranton University. He climbed into the public consciousness in 2011 with his groundbreaking exhibition themed around local Barbadian character and folk hero King Dyal. This suite of paintings, sculpture, and installations was critically acclaimed, and one of his installations won The Central of Barbados Purchase award in that year’s Independence Arts Festival. His work is also part of the Barbados National Art Collection. His latest series of works celebrates Barbadians who became heroes of the global Diaspora struggle.
Lisa Mona - Barbados
Coming from a diverse cultural background including the West Indies and South America, Lisa Mona’s artwork is eclectic. She finds inspiration while interacting with different cultures from all around the world. Through photography, painting and drawing her creations are influenced by nature’s simplicity, its colors and organic shapes. Lisa Mona is a believer in being an Eco-friendly artist and does her part by using recycled items as much as possible in her artwork. Her professional training was acquired at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Florida and Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York. Her photography has been showcased in numerous publications, exhibits and galleries both in North America and Barbados. Lisa Mona’s philosophy is that there is beauty in simplicity, and it can be found when looked at with non-critical eyes and a different perspective.
Ademola Olugebefola – US Virgin Islands
Dr. Ademola Olugebefola began his professional career as a bassist, playing with several small ensembles throughout the New York metropolitan area during the late 50s and early 60s. In the late 60’s he turned his creative energies to the visual arts and frequently incorporates musical ideas and theories in his extensive body of work. Over the past four decades, Olugebefola’s works have been included in hundreds of exhibitions at major American museums, universities and cultural institutions internationally. Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, he has lectured and participated in forums at universities, museums and cultural institutions in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. He is a highly respected cultural activist and renowned Harlem artist whose art and career papers are in the permanent collection of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Hatch Billops Archives, Howard University, and scores of other well-respected American institutions.
Azizah Onifa –Barbados
Azipho’s Creations was established in 1998 by husband and wife team, Azizah and Ras Sipho Onifa. Azipho’s Creations is an award winner at BMEX 2011, for best designs in accessories. Also, best Jewelry design at NCF Crop-Over Arts & Craft exhibition. The brand has participated at Jamaica Fashion Week, CARIFESTA 2012 in Suriname, and is known for exhibiting at all the local shows in Barbados. This island brand is known by the Barbadian public for its unique designs and quality finish. “We make styles fun for any function, but most importantly products that doesn’t damage the skin. Love life and live!”
Junior Parris – Barbados
Junior Parris lives and breathes art. Born in Barbados, he is resident in Paris, France, and Barbados. In addition to being a professional visual artist, Parris also represents artists from the Diaspora who are based in France, exibiting their work in Barbados and beyond. Over the years he has perfected a romantic realism which renders his own paintings with an ethereal quality almost reminiscent of the old masters. His works have been exhibited in the Caribbean, Europe, and the USA.
Steve Reid - Barbados
Steve Reid is a University of the West Indies trained agriculturist who has worked within the agricultural and financial services sectors for over two decades. Pottery making, however, has always appealed to his creative spirit and was brought to light in the early ’90s with displays at the Bridgetown Market and at the Barbados Crop Over Festival. His work often shows plant life and natural features of his environment, and embodies an ancient spirit in a unique, contemporary style.
Michel Rollock – Cuba
Jose Andres Michel Rollock is a master of the plastic arts who lives and works in Havana, Cuba. His paintings, drawings and sculpture have been exhibited widely in Cuba. His latest series of drawings, “Orishas de Los Canos”, was exhibited for the first time at the Contemporary Art & Collectibles Fair 2019, Miami Beach.
Ann Rudder – Barbados
In Barbados it is common when addressing “art” to refer only to painting, sculpture and sometimes printmaking. Consequently, it is a pleasure to view exploratory artwork by Heraldic artist Ann Rudder. She constantly researches aspects of notable events, with artistic methods to learn: “History Behind Heraldry”. Multiple mixed media, such as Blackbelly sheep hide, textiles, acrylic paint, applique, and ‘found objects’, become collages of unique experience. Her reference exhibition, “The Heraldry of the Commonwealth Caribbean” is within the Barbados National Collection of art. Ann Rudder allegorical works are: “We Came On Different Ships – Reviewing Slavery in Barbados” and “Betsy Lemon – Setting Together, Quilting Softly”.
Gina Samson - Haiti
Gina Samson’s work has been influenced by the rich cultural heritage and vibrant colors of the Caribbean, as well as the New York City urban environment. After showing interest in the arts at a young age, she enrolled in her high school’s art program, took classes and workshops at the Art Students League and NYU’s School of Continuing Education, and participated in shows and competitions. She regularly exhibits in the New York metropolitan area and her work is featured in several corporate and private collections. In her view, artwork reflects the importance of creation and imagination in everyone’s life. Working primarily in painting, collage and drawing, she aims to create works that incite reflection; while bringing to the viewer an appreciation of the pride, resilience and cultural achievements of the African Diaspora. Currently her work explores in two series the immigrant experience and the interplay of music and the visual arts: “This series focuses on the relationship between the 2 art forms and is linked to fact that I most often listen to jazz while I’m working”. Jazz has been the “soundtrack” of this production.
Arlette St. Hill - Barbados
Arlette St. Hill was born in Barbados and is a graduate of the Barbados Community College, Erdiston Teacher’s College, The Jamaica School of Art, and the Teachers’ Technical Training Institute, Madras - India. Arlette has a degree in Art education, diploma in Curriculum Design and the Development of Instructional Materials and certificates in Multimedia Production and Educational Text Book Publishing. Her artwork explores a variety of mediums and techniques which include acrylics, oil pastel, markers, pen and ink, print making and collage. Arlette exhibits frequently in Barbados, and has also exhibited in Kingston, Jamaica; Boston, Washington, New York, North Carolina and Miami, USA; London, England and Paris, France.
Malique Shorey - Barbados
Malique Shorey was born Barbados on February 6th, 2000. He was not always an artist initially. He was more of an aspirant to greater things or a dreamer, but always to something vague and unsure, always fleeting. His path as an artist started on a whim after his CSEC exams. With no clear route at the time he chose to go to the Barbados Community College and obtain an Associate Degree in Fine Art. Now his body of works consist mainly of small and medium sized paintings, but seek to extend outside of traditional bounds of art by using sculpture, painting, storytelling and designing to create not only a set of art works but also a space for them to exist and belong. Malique’s work has been displayed at The Barbados Community College Gallery and at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society. Not one to be confined to just the galleries, he has also created logos and tattoo designs for companies and individuals alike.
Kayron Simpson - Barbados
Kayron Simpson is a spiritually gifted individual with energies that capture the cosmic mysteries permeating nature. She has a keen interest in Black African redemption and martyrs of justice for Africans and their liberation. Her photography captures unique moments of human and nature interaction, as well as thought provoking images of revolutionary leaders. Kayron is a hobbyist photographer on a path towards the professionalism of her craft portraying messages of peace, nature’s harmonies, justice and freedoms for all.
Afreekan Southwell – Antigua/USVI
Afreekan Southwell was born in Antigua. He moved to the US Virgin Islands in 1981. He is a self-taught artist whose creativity ranges from oil paintings and poetry to acting and music. He is a master wood carver and drummer. His wood carvings reflect his love for his African Heritage. He uses mahogany as his medium and with his hammer and chisel creates a transformation of this beautiful wood that is nothing less than spectacular. Afreekan has recently added a new skill to his already long list of talents, wood turning; creating smaller objects that exhibit his extraordinary gift of communicating with the wood he is working with. Afreekan’s first solo exhibition in New York City, “Reflection of a Culture”, debuted in 2001 to positive critical reviews. He has since exhibited his creations multiple times in USVI, Barbados and the USA.
Amanda Trought Springer – Barbados
“My interests lie in the use of art, texture and colour within the health, community and corporate setting. I have exhibited widely in the UK, both solo and group work. More recently working on the use of sculpture, collage work, poetry and altered art. As an Artist, I am keen to explore how art and creativity can be used in different settings, and how we use creative expression as a means of communication. I am very interested in colour and texture and use a variety of techniques and mediums in creating images. I have worked extensively with the elderly with dementia and look at ways in which we can find ways for them to explore their creativity in a relaxed and un-judged environment.”
Maria Stanford - Barbados
Married with two teen children, Maria has been keen on art since her days at The Christ Church Foundation School. She then pursued Fine Arts at The Barbados Community College; after which, studied Interior Design at the International Fine Arts College in Miami, Florida. In 2015, a deep interest in visual arts began to blossom and then flourish when Maria attended the National Cultural Foundation’s En Plein Air Workshops which were tutored by Barbadian master artists. With painting as her passion, she has had the privilege of participating in outdoor sessions with the late master, Mr Fielding Babb. Memories of their trips to East Point Lighthouse, Crane Beach, Speightstown, Oistins (and more) will ever be treasured! Other than being En Plein Air, Wildflowers are a real favorite in her current series of paintings.
Patricia Stuart - Barbados
“My art is inspired by the environment I grew up in. I was raised by Barbadian grandparents who nurtured and tended a colorful garden in the front yard, and backyard of our house in Washington Heights, New York City. My grandmother’s appreciation for color was seen in the pink and blue floral linoleum in the living room. The pink slip covers on the sofa really stood out. The beautiful, colorful flowers in the garden was such a delight to see. I loved to just stare at them. Morning Glories, pink and white Carnations, Chrysanthemums and Roses were among some of the flowers she grew. I was surrounded by color growing up. I didn’t know it back then, but my love for art grew out of that colorful environment. I spent a lot of my free time drawing and coloring as a child. Eventually, all of that culminated into a passion for Arts and Crafts. I went from painting in art journals to painting on canvas. My paintings reflect anything that I have found to be beautiful in life. Being able to express that artistically, is a privilege and a blessing! Painting aspects of my heritage is of utmost importance because it allows me to make profound statements as I shed light on a much-needed subject. My work has been exhibited multiple times in libraries, and galleries. I am compelled to paint and create art because art tells the stories that need to be told!”
Michel Wall – Martinique
Michel Wall was born on the Caribbean island of Martinique and studied art at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. He developed a highly mannered abstract style, immediately recognizable as his own that was decorative. Michel Wall has held many exhibitions worldwide including Palm Beach, Montreal, Rome, Venice, Milan, Madrid and Paris. He was awarded first prize by the magazine "Connaissance des Arts".
Alfred Weekes – Barbados
Alfred Weekes has been creating wire sculptures since the 1970s and his work has been exhibited widely throughout the Caribbean and North America. In 1993 Mr. Weekes was judged BEST IN SHOW at the 1993 Manchester Art Association show in Manchester, Connecticut. In August 1998, Mr. Weekes' first one-man exhibition, “In Person", consisting entirely of colorful relief sculptures, received critical acclaim at Brooklyn Moon Café in New York City. His technique has continued to evolve, and his sculpture has become almost painterly in rendition. Mr. Weekes’ work is held in private collections throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and the U.S.
Lorna B. Wilson - Barbados
After stepping away from the business world to raise her three children Lorna B. Wilson began to paint occasionally. However, it took on a burning intensity when her children started to “fly the coup” and it’s then that she decided to fully explore her God given talent. She honed her skills under the tutelage of renowned artists Heidi Burger and Ariel Lyons and dedicated herself to becoming a full-time artist. Her art is now displayed in many galleries around Barbados. Lorna has a special love for painting fish and underwater life and so was dubbed “the fish artist”. Lorna feels blessed to have been born and be still living on a beautiful tropical island, like her native Barbados. Recently, Lorna has been using the palette knife more and sometimes exploring with finger painting and poured paints. She likes the more textured look of the palette knife and the surreal imagery of her more recent scenic paintings. In 2014 Lorna won a bronze medal in the National NIFCA competition and in 2015 she also won an incentive award in the Crop Over Visual Arts competition. She has shown her art in numerous exhibitions and can honestly say that her art is in many homes and business places throughout the island and abroad. In 2010 Lorna was invited to show her work in a group exhibition to raise funds for the relief effort in Haiti. She sold all her paintings, and this has encouraged her to look for ways to help disadvantaged and abused children. She uses art as a means of allowing them to channel their energy into creativity, giving them an avenue to escape their reality and also see their potential. She also sells her art and donates a percentage to various charities. Lorna knows that she was destined to use her art to reach others on a deeper level and aim to touch lives in this way. One of her favourite quotes is, "To whom much is given, of him much is expected".
“Diaspora Dialogue VII” – special exhibition of Global Diaspora Artists
Khuumba Ama - USA
Khuumba Ama hails from the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor of Savannah, Georgia. She now resides in Harlem, USA. She is a full time multi-dimensional Visual Artist, Storyteller and Reiki Therapist. Khuumba uses various textures to tell the stories of her art, such as, images printed on canvas, a technique Ms. Ama developed while experimenting with various materials to create her collages; sand and felting. Khuumba is currently the President of National Conference of Artists (NCA), New York Chapter. As a Teaching Artist, her classes are designed for elevating “Life Skills Through Art”. In September 2019, Khuumba received a Citation from the City Council of New York, for Outstanding Work in Community Service.
Akira Bennett – USA
Akira Bennett is a self-published author and spoken word artist from New York, where she began her life-long writing journey. She has been writing since childhood and professionally active in publishing and writing for over a decade. Akira is the author of two published inspirational books: a poetic collection and children’s book, with new literary works to be released in the new season. Some of her other works include numerous plays and magazine articles. Akira believes that the usage of words is her superpower, as words have the power to enact transformation for a better world---her work and efforts seek to utilize words just for that cause. She also enjoys helping other inspirational authors who may be struggling to release their work, to find the confidence and clarity to take their projects from pending to published. Faith, family, books, and business are Akira’s life priorities, informing her work and role as a writer.
S. Ross Browne – USA
S. Ross Browne studied Communication Art and Design at Virginia Commonwealth University
and Photography at The Corcoran School of the Arts. He is also an alumnus of The Miller
School of Albemarle, Charlottesville, Virginia. He has taught art and design for inner city
and at-risk youth for the Fresh Air Fund of N.Y.C, Weed and Seed, Project Ready and Art 180
of Richmond, VA. He was also an instructor for the Resident Associate Program at The
Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. During his tenure as the Art Specialist for the VCU
Health System, Ross practiced art therapy for and taught art to his various patients with an
emphasis on pediatric hematology/oncology, infectious disease and brain injury patients. He is
also an illustrator and graphic designer with a long and varied list of clientele. Ross continues to
paint and write out of his studio in Richmond, Virginia. In a review of the exhibition Art Fusion in the Richmond Times Dispatch, Special Correspondent, CeCe Bullard wrote; "Browne, always
intense and direct, explores the many faces of the American experience in a variety of media,
each of which he uses effectively." S. Ross Browne is the recipient of numerous awards and
honors, and has been featured in various local and national media. His work has been acquired
by the internationally recognized Virginia Museum of Fine Art and is in the collection of
international, national and local institutions.
Derick Cross – USA
D.Cross (Derick Cross) is a NY born and Brooklyn based HipHop artist, performer and art educator. He creates imagery and vocal art that transcends and crosses boundaries of genres and labels. This "Vocal Beat Expressionist” uses “vocal acrobatics” to create sonic collages of his poetry combining words, raps and beatboxing. He has performed nationally & internationally in venues including Madison Square Garden, SOB's, BB Kings, Caroline’s and Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Cross was selected as cultural Hip Hop Ambassador for the US State Department’s Next Level program. He recently served as Hop Hop Cultural Diplomat in Azerbaijan. D.Cross has been featured on MTV, The Electric Company, Nickelodeon, TV Land & BET's 106 and Park. His vocal talents have been featured on the award winning Aflac “Pigeon Rap” ad & 7–Up‘s “10” campaign. He was the Hottest Poets $10,000 Spoken Word Grand Champion of 2002/03 as well as a member of their international slam team of 2003. D.Cross’ visual art has been exhibited across the USA & internationally in Sweden & Brazil. His artistry is currently featured in Dr Myrah Brown Green’s award-winning art anthology “Brooklyn On My Mind”. Cross‘s work can be found as part of the collections of Erykah Badu (Singer), Ed Lewis (Founder of Essence), the late Ruby Dee (legendary actress), Judith Jamison (Alvin Ailey), Kool Herc (Hiphop founding father), Big Daddy Kane (Hiphop Legend) and Bashiri Johnson (world renowned percussionist). Mr. Cross is also a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, NYC, and has worked as an Arts Educator teaching youth visual arts and poetry over the past two decades.
Ramona LaRoche - USA
Dr. Ramona LaRoche is a Cultural Heritage Informaticist at Gullah Galz Ink currently working in South Carolina and Florida. She is also an accomplished photographer. Her focus ranges from Divergent Education and Genealogy for Youth to Critical Community Archives. She is particularly interested in Barbadian and Gullah connections, Digital Humanities, Global Arts, and technology. Dr. LaRoche received her training at the University of South Carolina, Columbia College – SC, Antioch University, and the School for Visual Arts.
Ernani Silva – Brazil
Ernani Silva, artist, curator, educator, and mentor was born in the hills outside of Rio de Janeiro. At four years of age he picked up the pencil, pen and natural fruit juices and applied them to paper, he has not stopped painting since. He had his first gallery showing in 1969. He also introduced painting as an alternative to violence for youth in the hills of Rio. Ernani is known for his freedom of expression and use of strong vibrant colors that move across the paper as if the figures were dancing or playing a musical instrument. He speaks several different languages and is passionate about art and art history. The language he speaks best is with his brush or with the paint applied directly from the tube to the canvas. In keeping with his commitment to his collectors, Ernani’s works are all originals on paper, wood or canvas. In 2014 he celebrated forty-five years of exhibiting his original work in the United States.
Danny Simmons – USA
Danny Simmons, Jr., is an American abstract painter from Queens, NY, who coined his particular style of painting as “neo-African Abstract Expressionism.” His talent and passion for the arts reaches beyond the canvas; he is a published author, poet, painter and art philanthropist. The New York Times, in reviewing one of his art exhibitions, stated that Simmons “injects freshness” into his abstracts, and that they are “meticulously rendered and decoratively impressive.” Today, his works appear in prominent locales around the globe, including: Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Museum, Chase Manhattan Bank, Deutsche Bank, Schomburg Center for Black Culture, The Smithsonian, United Nations, and, on an international scope has shown work in France, Amsterdam and Ghana. In 2015, he served as a scholarly consultant for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC.
TAFA – Ghana
TAFA is an award-winning painter whose work is exhibited and collected internationally. His style is characterized by a richly vivid palette and heavily textured surface. He obtained a BFA degree from the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. He currently lives in Harlem, New York. TAFA was named 2010 Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum and Archives. TAFA’s paintings have been celebrated and exhibited in galleries, educational and cultural institutions in the US, Japan, Europe, and Africa. His work may be found in numerous permanent public and private collections, including the Superior Court, Washington, D.C, Barclays Bank, Sparrow Hospital, Michigan, Shell Co, Ghana’s National Museum, Carver Federal Bank and former New York City Mayor, David N. Dinkins, Bryant Gumbel and former US President Bill Clinton. “Myth, worship and ritual is what attracts me, the arena as a landscape or the athlete or player as portraiture is not what inspires me. Sport as a metaphor for life and faith fascinates me - our collective allegiance and dedication to the gods and deities of the game, the mass psychology and identification, almost prehistoric and primal. It is the mythic power of the stadium, the arena, which has become the new basilica and pyramid, synagogue and temple.” says TAFA. This myth and almost religious relevance is also captured in his paintings of marches and protestors.
Jonathan Wosu - Nigeria
Jonathan Wosu has visited and photographed several hundred sites and/or events in the USA, China, and many African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinee-Conakry, South Africa and Ethiopia. Hence, he considers himself qualified to facilitate intercultural bridges through photography assignments and/or interactive educational slide shows. He aspires to maintain the attitude of humility and joy of discovery in his interactions as he continues to communicate with the motto – Bridges Connect. In observing cityscapes and architecture he marvels at the technical ingenuity that blends differences in texture, colors and shapes effortlessly and harmoniously with pertinent residents and visitors; in event photography he celebrates inclusively and unconditionally with meaning and pride; in candid portraiture he is nurtured by the diversity of the human face – precious landmarks of God. He considers his subjects and the effortless rapport between us to be more important than clicking the camera’s shutter.
Special Exhibition – The Cuban Connection
Works of Cuban artists Alejandro Greenidge and Jose Andres Michel Rollock
Both descendants of Barbadians who immigrated to Cuba after working on the Panama Canal
Special Exhibition – Wire Artists of Barbados
Creations by Barbadian artists Ishmael Clement, John Flavius and Alfred Weekes
The genesis and development of wire sculpture in Barbados
Special Event – Barbados Students Exhibit & Ani-Market at NORMAN CENTER
Friday & Saturday, March 13th & 14th (exhibit continues until Friday, March 20th)
Introducing the Inaugural
BRIDGETOWN INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
Featuring musical, spoken word and theatrical performances
Saturday, March 14th, 2020, 5.30 – 9.30 pm
Special Exhibit - Photographs from the book "Bridgetown Beat"
Historic Bridgetown, Barbados, in Black & White
by Mario Porchetta
In 1974 I entered a dark room for the first time and witnessed the miraculous emergence of a photographic image out of its chemical bath. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a photographer. A holiday job enabled me to buy a good second hand camera and a black and white printer. A few years later I took up jazz percussion and found my second calling. I decided to follow both paths, jazz and photography.
In 1984, after finishing my studies in Agriculture, I started to work in the world of economic development in various African countries. Photography and music, though important, had to take second place for a while although I continued to take pictures and play music whenever possible. In early 2000, development work brought me to the Caribbean. It was a very different world yet in many ways closely linked to Africa.
Gradually I became more involved in the arts in the region. In 2012 I hosted my first solo show as a photographer and also formed a jazz trio which performs around Barbados. Now, some forty years on, these three callings with their different experiences contribute to my life as an artist. This book is a celebration of those reconnections and a tribute to twenty years association with life in Barbados.
This project started while I was walking in Bridgetown early this year. The city pulsates with life. I have always appreciated its diversity and harmony with its wide cross section of street vendors, office people, tourists, rich, poor and many different colors. I felt an urge to capture aspects of all these features through images. It was like taking notes of street life and buildings using a camera instead of pencil and paper. The great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson said: “for me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, question and decides simultaneously”. I feel the same way. My aim in this book is to illustrate and transmit to the viewer many of the movements and rhythms of Bridgetown. All the images were taken in public places.