The Table
My work is a representation of the multicultural context found within Caribbean culture and its artistic manifestation in contemporary Trinidad. Coming from the Twin island of Trinidad and Tobago I have always been exposed to a diverse culture and people. I explore how different individual identities come together through the concept of “Ole Talking” which is a Creole term for light-hearted chatter between friends (usually done around a table). This is how many traditions are passed on from one generation to another. The idea of a table brings people together. It’s where people meet to connect and share; so much is discussed and verbalised over a table. The table and its contents therefore symbolically hold its own cultural identity due to the time it has spent absorbing these conversations.
I use hand painted Mehindi designs to form a contextual basis of the conversations within my community, as this is also a tradition that is passed down orally. Although Mehindi designs are meant to be a temporary mark on the skin, I break the mould to explore a modern way of keeping this tradition recorded through ceramic material, which has an everlasting quality.
