Tessa Alexander
Tessa Alexander I am a visual artist from Trinidad. I am currently a Practice-based cultural studies PhD candidate and my project explores the matriarchal painting legacies of her Igbo, West African and Bihari, East Indian, foremothers whose traditions have not been recognized in the Caribbean. I.hold an MFA in Cultural Studies, for my project which was an investigation of the impact of mothering and motherhood on art practice entitled Nurturing the Outside Child and an AA in fashion design.
I work primarily with watercolour as this art material has often been gendered and sidelined, yet is one of the more environmentally friendly mediums. Having a background in fashion design I use the vibrancy, colour, fluidity and textures produced from watercolour to capture the Caribbean essence. However, as my pieces are nuanced I also combine handmade papers, archive images, and cultural embellishments to reflect my own mixed heritage Trinidadian aesthetic.
My work has been exhibited nationally, and internationally, has been on the cover of Ins and Outs 2022 magazine and included in several art and academic texts and can be found in collections around the world including the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and The Parliament.
I work primarily with watercolour as this art material has often been gendered and sidelined, yet is one of the more environmentally friendly mediums. Having a background in fashion design I use the vibrancy, colour, fluidity and textures produced from watercolour to capture the Caribbean essence. However, as my pieces are nuanced I also combine handmade papers, archive images, and cultural embellishments to reflect my own mixed heritage Trinidadian aesthetic.
My work has been exhibited nationally, and internationally, has been on the cover of Ins and Outs 2022 magazine and included in several art and academic texts and can be found in collections around the world including the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and The Parliament.
