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Simon Tatum

@_simontatum

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//Based in New Jersey, U.S.A.
//MFA from Kent State Unv. School of Art, USA.
//Born in the Cayman Islands.
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I am sharing new screenprints completed during my residency at @stove_works . These prints continue the “Colonial Debris” series, which I began for the 2024 “In Relations” exhibit with TERN Gallery (@terngallery) curated by @jodiminnisrolle. This print references the “Fragmentary Male Torso,” a 1st-century Roman marble sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection. Its pose shows an active twisting motion that highlights the elegance of the male form. Wreathed in hibiscus, gold nuggets, and gemstones, the male torsos in my print represent beauty and currency. They extend my investigation into "colonial debris," exploring both the material and psychological legacies of the Caribbean. Each piece begins as a graphite screenprint on paper, which I then hand-paint with watercolor to evoke the aesthetic of vintage tourist postcards. These elevated figures are part of my new icons for the Caribbean region, thinking about new icons that can emerge from the colonial debris. This post shares three different versions of my male torso print along with details 💚✨️💚 taken in New Brunswick, New Jersey by @_simontatum
3
7 months ago
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I am happy to have been selected to be an artist in residence at @stove_works during the month of February. It was great to have the space to do some drawings and continue two series of work. I was particularly focused on my Colonial Debris silkscreen prints and my gold luster drawings on ceramic, which I am calling "An Episode with Ringo"- referencing the character Ringo from the 1970s satirical film "Smile Orange" written by Trevor D. Rhone. I send a big THANK YOU to the whole team at @stove_works for being so welcoming and generous with the resources they had on site! Stoveworks is a special incubator space for artists. I am grateful for the space 🙏🏽 It was also great to be in the space with so many amazing artists, curators, and creatives. A special shout out to people in my monthly cohort- @hb4god , @luciakorpas, @hotdude_3.14, @em_tom_again, @samyoungin, @kristiknipe, @raymond.padron.art and @tksmith106! I will post more in the coming weeks about the series I am continuing and new works being completed 👀 ***A special thanks to @hb4god for the studio pictures as well 💚✨️💚 by @_simontatum
17
7 months ago
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I am really excited to share that my print “Winter Haven Homes” from the “See Your Travel Agent” series has been chosen to be part of @riseart ‘s Curator’s Pick for January 2026. The work was chosen along with the work of several other artists by curators, Loise Pannier ( @fineal_agence_artistique ) and Laurel Bouye. The “See Your Travel Agent” series was inspired by my graduate thesis research and its investigation into tantalizing ideas of a Caribbean fantasy destination. The artworks take the form of archival inkjet prints on paper, designed through both analog and digital methods of image layering and registration. The content for the prints references tourist pamphlets that were commissioned by hotels in Grand Cayman in the 1960s and 1970s from a Miami-based advertisement company. Editions of the “Winter Haven Homes” print, along with several other of my works on paper, are available for sale on the RiseArt Platform. Check out the link to my webpage for RiseArt in the links in my bio. by @_simontatum
1
9 months ago
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GALERÍA ABIERTA 5:30PM - 9:00PM ÚLTIMA SEMANA: BIRTH PAPERS Curada por Azi Jones @lehweprojects 📸De izquierda a derecha: Simon Tatum Losing a Friend 2021 Gold luster and glaze on ceramic plate 6 x 6 x 6 in. Simon Tatum Portrait of Ringo 2021 Gold luster and glaze on ceramic plate 7.5 x 7.5 x 1 in. Simon Tatum Smoking 2021 Gold luster and glaze on ceramic plate 6 x 6 x 6 in. LES ESPERAMOS. by @_simontatum
4
4 months ago
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GALERÍA ABIERTA 5:30PM -10:00PM BIRTH PAPERS Curada por Azi Jones @lehweprojects [...] "Ambas acepciones, proponen un marco desde el cual se problematizan los mecanismos mediante los cuales la legitimidad se construye y se sostiene. A la vez, pone en relieve las formas en que las personas caribeñas se autodefinen, así como la medida en que dicha identidad se inscribe en la materialidad de la vida cotidiana: en la frescura de las losas y las varillas, el calor del concreto expuesto al sol, en silenciosa autoridad de la porcelana que nos fue heredada. Destacando el trabajo de artistas caribeños como Clayton Rhule, dach&zephir, Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, Simon Tatum, Shani Strand, Yiyo Tirado-Rivera, Kara Springer, y Zoé Pheron, entre otros, la exhibición destaca prácticas que tienen como punto de partida el uso de materiales encontrados, colectados y materiales de origen natural. Estas obras resisten las narrativas singulares de origen y, en cambio, reflejan una creatividad caribeña moldeada por la sintonía con el entorno y la multiplicidad cultural." [...] -Azi Jones, 2026. LES ESPERAMOS. by @_simontatum
0
4 months ago
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Meet the artist: @_simontatum 🇰🇾 We visited artist Simon Tatum as he prepared his works for BIRTH PAPERS this May. “Feedback Loop” and selections from his porcelain plate series come together as part of an ongoing investigation into material, memory, and what he terms “colonial debris”. Learn more about his practice here! ✴️ @lehweprojects ABOUT THE ARTIST Simon Tatum is a mixed-media artist born in the Cayman Islands and based in the United States. He received his MFA in Sculpture and Expanded Media from Kent State University in 2021, where his thesis exhibition, “The Romantic Caribbean”, was presented at the Center for the Visual Arts. He is the first scholar supported by the Peter N. Thomson Family Foundation in Grand Cayman to pursue graduate study abroad. Recent exhibitions include a two-person presentation at Vanderbilt University’s Sarratt Gallery (2024) and group exhibitions at TERN Gallery, Nassau (2024) and the Barbados Museum and Historical Society (2018). In 2022, he participated in documenta 15 with Alice Yard. In 2025, he was named one of Rise Art’s “Top 10 Emerging Artists to Watch.” SOBRE EL ARTISTA Simon Tatum es un artista de medios mixtos nacido en las Islas Caimán y radicado en los Estados Unidos. Obtuvo su MFA en Escultura y Medios Expandidos en Kent State University en 2021, donde presentó su exposición de tesis, “The Romantic Caribbean”. Es el primer becario apoyado por la Peter N. Thomson Family Foundation en Gran Caimán en cursar estudios de posgrado en el extranjero. Entre sus exposiciones recientes se incluyen una muestra bipersonal en Sarratt Gallery de Vanderbilt University (2024) y exposiciones colectivas en TERN Gallery, Nassau (2024) y el Barbados Museum and Historical Society (2018). En 2022, participó en documenta 15 con Alice Yard. En 2025, fue nombrado uno de los “Top 10 Emerging Artists to Watch” por Rise Art. #caribbeandesign #design #caymanislands #caymanartist #caymandesigner by @_simontatum
5
6 months ago
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🎨 FRAGMENTS OF HOME WITH ARTIST @_simontatum 🖼️ Within the pristine walls of @natgalcayman, a looping film shimmers across a white wall. Voices ripple through the soundscape, from revolutionary Caribbean leaders to the lilting Caymanian cadence of a woman recalling her grandfather’s words: “Are you paying attention to the world?” The voice belongs to Mary Lawrence – educator, writer, politician, inspiration, and grandmother of erudite mixed-media artist Simon Tatum. 🌊 Often examining Cayman’s ‘plastic paradise’ image, Tatum reveals how this tourism façade risks flattening “the complexities of an entire island nation,” inviting viewers to “look beyond surface beauty and question what has been made visible and what has been erased.” 🧩 For Tatum, contemporary art is “archival, pedagogical and protective” – a practice of “reassembling traces of what might otherwise be lost to time or commodification,” and of “deepening attention to the world, to memory, and to the fragile, shifting identity of his homeland.” 📍 Click the link in our bio to read the full RL ARTIST PROFILE: SIMON TATUM in @reallifecaribbean 🌺 Immerse yourself in the FRAGMENTS OF HOME that shape Cayman’s past, present, and possible futures. https://www.reallifecaribbean.com/artist-simon-tatum-cayman-islands _______________________ #reallife #reallifecaribbean #reallifemagazine #caymanislands #caribbeanart contemporaryart nationalgallerycayman caymanart caymanartist caribbeanart caribbeanartist simontatumart taken in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands by @_simontatum
8
8 months ago
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As an artist who is frequently interested in learning new methods for sharing experiences, I made use of my training with ceramic media in my recent project The Travelers (2025), a multi-media installation that shares audio clippings of a conversation with my grandmother speaking about my great-grandfather’s warning of keeping an eye of international news and world events happening off their home island in the 1960s. This audio is paired with clips featuring speeches from Caribbean writers, cultural historians, and leaders like Maurice Bishop, CLR James, and Fidel Castro. Each issuing their own warnings about post-colonial developments in the Caribbean region. This chorus of audio is woven together and placed with video projections I recorded of a public park in Nassau. All these audio and video components are further enhanced through their outlets — customly designed, symmetrical ceramic canisters that I designed to project the audio. Like my earlier projects that empower a personal iconography — e.x., my glass tanks that held hand-crafted portrait busts and arrangements of flowers suspended in water— my new ceramic sculptures share my mindset of thinking about my familial past in the present tense. I am pleased to premier the new multi-media installation as part of the Cayman Islands Biennial exhibition.  It will be on view at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (@natgalcayman ) from 2 Oct, 2025- 18 Feb, 2026. The 4th edition of the Cayman Islands Biennial, titled “Archipelago”, foregrounds the unique intersection of individual and collective roles in shaping the current moment, just as an archipelago can be viewed as both a single conglomerate entity and as hundreds of distinct islands with individual shores. Recognising the pressing need for open and constructive dialogue, this exhibition is a nexus for the open exchange of critical ideas, personal reflection, and imaginative possibilities. The exhibition is guest curated by Davin K. Ebanks ( @davin.ebanks )  and Joseph L. Underwood (@dr_prof_dad ). *** Installation shots courtesy of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. taken in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands by @_simontatum
4
9 months ago
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With the year wrapping up, I am happy to have an opportunity to read through Blanc Magazine’s (@blancmagazine ) Art Issue No.31. I am grateful to have been one of the artists featured in the issue alongside many other amazing people like Tschabalala Self (@tschabalalaself), Devan Shimoyama (@devonshimoyama), Tiffany Alfonseca, Ebun Sodipo (@epastry), Emmanuel Massillon (@massi___), Xiyao Wang (@xiyaowangart), JJJJJerome Ellis (@jjjjjeromeellis), Maria Fragoso Jara (@mariafragosoj ), and Shannon T. Lewis (@shannon_t_lewis). I am sending another big thank you to magazine Editor in Chief, Teneshia Carr (@teneshiacarr)! It was a great discussion leading up to the release of the magazine issue in September, and I am so honored to have been included. Blanc Magazine Issue No.31 Description: “In these moments of global unrest and quiet despair, we are now asking ourselves what good art can do. When the world trembles under the weight of conflict, climate crisis, inequality, and disconnection, it might seem indulgent to speak of beauty, to devote time to shape, color, and form. And yet in these times, it is precisely when art is needed most.” ***A special thank you to @terngallery and @orgnzd.visuals who have blessed me with really great documentation of my work over the last couple of years! 💚 The magazine is now available for purchase online. Check out the link in my bio. taken in New Jersey, USA by @_simontatum
16
10 months ago
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I am pleased to be included in Real Life Magazine’s ( @reallifecaribbean ) Winter Issue! My artwork and an article are featured in the magazine, reflecting on my upbringing in Cayman and how this continues to guide my creative practice. It's a perfect time for the article as I have my newest sculptural installation on view at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands ( @natgalcayman ) for the biennial showcase. If you at in Cayman go check out the new work. It will be on view till Feb 18, 2026. I wish a big thank you to magazine editor Melanie Roddam and writer Georgia Austin! It was a good discussion leading up to the release of the magazine issue this December (2025), and I am so grateful to have been included in the issue.  Quote from the Magazine Issue:  ***As his work evolves, Tatum’s gaze remains firmly fixed on Cayman, not as a postcard-perfect destination, but as a living, evolving home land. “Cayman’s smallness is both a blessing and a challenge,” he muses. “It makes us aware of how quickly things can shift - socially, environmentally, culturally - and I think art has a role to play in recording and responding to those changes.” The magazine is now available locally in the Cayman Islands. I will place a link to the digital article in my bio. by @_simontatum
9
10 months ago
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For the past several years, I have been in conversation with Matt Ballou ( @eikonktizo), my friend and previous professor of drawing from @mizzou_svs , about a project that speaks to the story of the Teignmouth Electron. It is a wrecked trimaran ship, which previously belonged to Donald Crowhurst, and now lives in a state of decay on the coast of Cayman Brac. Our conversations led to a small exhibit where we are experimenting with artworks that address the Teignmouth as "colonial debris" in the tropical landscape of the Caribbean, through pieces that take the form of drawings, paintings, prints, photos, videos and vinyl. The exhibit was on display at the Vanderbilt's Sarratt Gallery (@sarrattartstudiosandgallery ) in 2024. Now Matt has turned our works and writing into a small zine booklet with the help @therisoroom at the University of Missouri. The images in this post are select pages from the zine booklet. Special thanks to The Riso Room and the Oswaldo Garcia Mendoza (@iam0sw) for the design help and printing! The booklets are beautiful. taken in MU School of Visual Studies by @_simontatum
2
a year ago
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I am re-sharing some pictures of secondary school students in Nassau checking out a print from my "See Your Travel Agent" series. My works were shared by TERN Gallery (@terngallery ) in their booth at the Fuze Art Fair (@fuzeartfair ). I remember being in art classes in 10th grade in Grand Cayman and going to see exhibits of work by Wray Banker and Nassaria Suckoo (@suckoochollette )and Kerri-Anne Chisholm (@kerrichisholm )at the National Gallery's (@natgalcayman ) waterfront location. Those early introductions to creative practice can be pivotal moments. I am glad I can pay it forward and inspire questions for the younger generation through my work.  I am sending a special thanks to Amanda Coulson (@coulson_amanda ) , Lauren Perez (@lauren.h.perez ), Azi Jones (@azijoness )and the whole TERN Team for sharing my work at Fuze this year!  **** Image 1- Students touring TERN Gallery booth at Fuze Fair, courtesy of Amanda Coulson.  Image 2- "Buccaneers Inn", 2022 from the "See Your Travel Agent" series, full artwork image. Image 3- "Buccaneers Inn", 2022 from the "See Your Travel Agent" series, detail image. taken in Nassau, Bahamas by @_simontatum
1
a year ago
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