📍Barbados
Kraig Yearwood (Barbados) is a visual artist and designer whose paintings and mixed media works embrace an intuitive process of considering and collecting materials that facilitate an intimate exploration of self as well as larger issues of materialism, consumption and cultural inheritance. Recent works are investigations into introspection, human relationships and social issues very often drawing comparisons between these themes and the cycles of a garden.
Yearwood studied Graphic Design at the Barbados Community College and has since had five solo shows in Barbados. To date, he has participated in group exhibitions in Florida, London, Belgium and Trinidad & Tobago. Yearwood has received National Visual Arts awards (Barbados) and was the recipient of the annual month-long ‘My Time’ Local Residency prize in 2017, awarded by the Fresh Milk Platform (Barbados).
HOT SUN CCA: The past two years of the covid-19 pandemic, have proven to be very intense and an unprecedented learning curve for many artists and cultural workers here in our Caribbean islands and globally. Kraig, how would you describe 2021/ 2022 ?
Kraig Yearwood: 2021/2022 has brought me to a place of regrouping, pivoting and seeking balance.
HSCCA: What have been the main challenges over the past year? And how did you navigate and recover from them?
KY: The most challenging aspect of the past few years has been time management. I’m finding it difficult to work on my visual art practice with any consistency while my commercial project is in its teething phase.
Balancing Act Totem 3 Print (2022), Kraig Yearwood
HSCCA: What is your career focus in both areas of art practice and fashion design, at this point in time?
KY: I’m trying to find the balance in managing both my art practice and accessories label (stuff by Kraig). It’s all still a work in progress especially as my label is gaining traction. The intense focus on creating accessories has caused my art making to take a bit of a backseat for the moment.
HSCCA: What continues to sustain & inspire you as a contemporary artist from the Caribbean ?
KY: I have eclectic interests, so I usually have tons of ideas floating around in my head. One of the greatest challenges is dedicating time to bring those ideas to fruition. As my practice continues to evolve I’ve become more interested in exploring my own stories, often intertwined with social and environmental issues. My work is usually multidimensional, as I tend not to be focused on any particular subject.
Gold Coast (2021), Kraig Yearwood
Acrylic, Mixed media collage on luxury gift paper
HSCCA: As we approach the last quarter of this year, what would you like to do more of over the next year ?
KY: Hmm…I’d love for my accessories line to reach a point where I’m not the primary crafter, allowing me more time for art making. Another goal is to have the commercial projects which were derailed due to the pandemic, back on track.
Explore all of Kraig Yearwood’s works here.