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@focus_____foundation

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Artist in residence
Santa Clara 54📍Girona

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Another soft ceiling.

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Open Studio Recap.

To close out 2024, I held an Open Studio on December 14 to share some works including those I worked on at various residencies over the last two years such as at Focus Foundation (Catalan, Spain); Stiftung Künstlerdorf (Schöppingen, Germany); Ruby Cruel (Hackney, UK) Denniston Hill (Upstate NY, USA) and exhibited in lightly, tendrils at CCA Glasgow (Scotland) and in the Empire Remains Shop curated by Cooking Sections (London, UK).

Increasingly the works are meditations on the living world, connecting many of these seemingly far flung places with plants growing in close proximity to my various studio spaces. The act of drawing and a more recent engagement with textiles are offering meditative strategies for calm amidst the climate crisis and this era of ecological grief while evoking the sacrality of all things.

As I ground myself in the beauty, agency and abundance of local flora wherever I am, I continue to reflect on Barbadian plantation history, traditional plant uses emanating from enslaved society and the urgent collective need to develop post-plantation ecologies and perspectives engendered by a closer relationship with the earth. Growing, pressing, drawing and embroidering botanicals encourages a practice of looking at and intimacy with what populates my immediate environment, holding the belief that if we really see and connect with what’s in our spaces, the desire to take care will grow as we simultaneously heal.

Thanks to Pepe and Julie for all their incredible support in making this Open Studio happen, to Seamus and Emily for their help with the preparations, to Dondré Trotman for documenting the day and to everyone who came out, supported the event and acquired work. My gratitude is immense! 🙏🏽 💚

The work is available for viewing by appointment only, during the first few weeks of January, so let me know if you’d like to pop by.

Here’s to us all recognising the sacrality of all living things and to moving more softly, lovingly and slowly on the earth in 2025.

#openstudio #besoft #drawing #textile #embroidery #contemporrayart #caribbeanart

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Desde explorar nuevos medios hasta traspasar los límites de la creatividad y cada momento de 2023 me han llevado a culminar un año lleno de crecimiento y creación en mi ámbito artístico. La obra en la fotografía titulada ‘Montaña Humana’, encapsula una gran cantidad de emociones e historias en su lienzo. Es por ello que me siento honrado y lleno de gratitud porque esta pieza ha encontrado un nuevo hogar en la prestigiosa colección de la Familia Engelhorn.

Ahora, regreso a Girona de nuevo rumbo a Mexico donde en enero voy a empezar una residencia de artistas en Casa Wabi (@casawabi) donde espero continuar desarrollando parte de la práctica que empecé en Focus. Estas fotografías son de una comida pre-Arco (@feriaarco) organizada por Focus Foundation (@focus_____foundation) en Girona el pasado marzo con el apoyo de Art Insider Pr (@artinsiderpr) y Sofia Bertilsson (@sofiabertilsson). Muchísimas gracias a Pepe Baena Divi (@pbd.world) por el apoyo incondicional y a Victoria Engelhorn (@victoriaengelhorn), Kurt Engelhorn y a toda la familia Engelhorn. Y también a toda la familia y amigos de Focus Foundation, gracias por acoger mi arte y permitir que forme parte del proyecto. Es un honor más allá de las palabras.

Brindemos por abrazar la belleza del arte, su capacidad para trascender fronteras y las infinitas posibilidades que aún están por venir.

📸 Joan Divi (@joandivi)

#focusfoundation #artistinresidency #contemporaryart #Engelhorn #art #painting #artgallery #artcollector #best

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Please add me: @kandy_fashion_bag

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On an Artistic Exploration in Ca n’Heras with the @focus_____foundation

Working on new precious items 💖✨

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Thank you to Pulse95, Sharjah's 1st English radio station and big gratitude to their generous interviewer, Aisha AlMaazmi, for inviting me to be a part of her ‘Eyes On’ radio programme. Aisha’s generous questions kept me on my toes!
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We chatted about colonialism and post-colonialism; the word ‘plot’ as both a noun and a verb; the ways in which the colonial project fostered alienation; the selection of plants for the living apothecary; the creation of a safe space where all people are invited to enter the space, slow down and take a breath; the sound work offering blessings for everyone including Sharjah’s large migrant labour force; my work with a sewing circle of women in Barbados to produce the embroidered drawings; the seed depository, bush teas and much much more.

Thank you to Joseph dela Cerna from the Sharjah Art Foundation comms team for accompanying me and facilitating the recording.

If you’d like to hear us speak about my project for SB15, Pray to Flowers–A Plot of Disalienation, check the link in the bio!

#contemporaryart #caribbeanart #embroidery #apothecary #barbados #collaboration #sharjah #SharjahBiennial15 #SB15 #SharjahArtFoundation #praytoflowers #seeddepository #blessing #emboidery

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En la Gala de presentacion en Madrid de MIA Art Collection
#miaart #artcollectionist #womanartist #mujeres #mujeresartistas

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Tell me, what’s the meaning of a friend?
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• #home #homies #friends #night #photography #style #goodvibes #girona #spain #winter #drinks

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"Pray to Flowers – A Plot of Disalienation” (2023), includes an interior space featuring a suite of panels including crochet, applique and embroidery on domestic or linen. Some of the crochet pieces were in my family, others I acquired at local sales while some were gifted to me.

Last June-July, I spent some time at the Focus Foundation Artist in Residence Program at las Mas Heras and began to imagine my contribution to the Bait Al Hurma space here in Sharjah for #SB15.

I started thinking about making textile drawings–a new method developing in my practice–while at Focus. I had to face my fear of embroidering–a leftover trauma from failing sewing class in secondary school–so I told myself it was simply drawing with thread. The first words I embroidered were *Pray to Flowers* and the work has been evolving since then.

A number of women joined me along the way and I am grateful to them for generously offering their sewing skills and the accompanying chat! Gratitude to the following Stitch and Bitch posse: Holly Bynoe, Cheryl Cox, Barbara Davis, Maureen Davis, Vanessa Delany, Rosalind Harris, Serena Jones, Marion Lashley, Marie-Claire Lyder, Jessica Marshall, Rosa Rúiz Gimenez, Rhea Small, and Nadja Willis.

#contemporaryart #caribbeanart #embroidery #stitchandbitch #gardens #barbados #collaboration #sharjah #SharjahBiennial15 #SB15 #SharjahArtFoundation #praytoflowers

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Winter Dinner Feast. @brugarolbarcelona x
@focus_____foundation
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📷 @joandivi
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#brugarol #essenciaemporda #canherasdadri
#fincabelllloc #hostallafosca #eco #ecofriendly
#ecolifestyle #masia #canetdadri #mas #rural
#turismecatalunya #catalunya #catalunyaexperience
#productonatural #productoartesanal #productolocal
#productokmO #productodeproximidad #productekm0
#slowfood #productedeproximitat #slowliving #slowlife
#barcelonafood #barcelonarestaurants #barcelonaturisme

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Winter Dinner Feast. @brugarolbarcelona x @focus_____foundation
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📷 @joandivi 👏🏽
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#brugarol #essenciaemporda #canherasdadri #fincabelllloc #hostallafosca #eco #ecofriendly #ecolifestyle #masia #canetdadri #mas #rural #turismecatalunya #catalunya #catalunyaexperience #productonatural #productoartesanal #productolocal #productokmO #productodeproximidad #productekm0 #slowfood #productedeproximitat #slowliving #slowlife #barcelonafood #barcelonarestaurants #barcelonaturisme

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Settled into picturesque hills just outside of Girona there is a still-secret artist residence and soon-to-be Empordà art epicentre Focus Foundation that has opened its gate to artists from all over the world in 2022 but is ready to launch into full glory in 2023. We were lucky enough to be invited to their winter dinner feast, celebrating the beauty of fire, art and community and get a guided tour of the incredible yet still under renovation facilities and hear about the story of some of the past residents, their ethos and artworks. Impressive is the first word jumping to mind, CONGRATS! we at THE ART BÜRO can hardly wait to see the development of this new initiative in our beloved homeland of the Empordà and start a relationship with the foundation. Stay tuned!

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