[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] Kimberly Wallace (Trinidad
Express) reviews the work of Kvita Mongroo, which has been on view at the Soft Box Gallery, on Alcazar Street, St Clair, Trinidad.
The Caribbean is best known for its diverse cultures and food, carnivals, spectacular beaches and friendly locals, however Trinidadian-Canadian visual artist Kvita Mongroo believes not enough attention is given to the region’s deeper complexities.
Through her second solo exhibition The Traces that Ending Worlds Leave Behind, at the Soft Box Gallery on Alcazar Street, St Clair, Mongroo’s goal is to venture more deeply into the state of the philosophical questions that continue to plague humanity, express her own confusion and acceptance, and produce visual stimulation that encourages discussion and action.
Her exhibition, which features paper collage/mixed-media pieces, is best described as “an exercise in Caribbean futurism”. “I have attempted to imagine and create a vision that takes us into account as survivors of a possibly catastrophic ending of the world as we know it. I wanted to give our people, Caribbean people, a sense of the landscapes of the future, either completely flooded or barren and scorched,” said Mongroo. “Like so many, I wonder when the future of our world will be taken seriously, or if we will continue to spiral towards extreme climate events, wars and nuclear war.”
According to the visual artist, the Global South (which includes the Caribbean) will suffer the worst effects of climate change. Her exhibition portrays what is next and how we might build on it. In her work she has incorporated a few aspects of our culture: stilt walkers, sari fabrics, religious myths which have been reinvented as survival tools or remnants of the stories of our ancestors.
Mongroo has always worked primarily with paper collage. She was introduced to the collage technique at Naparima Girls’ High School and was drawn in by the technique being applied to the Caribbean environment. She finds that paper collage gives her the freedom to dissect the ordinary.
“The process begins with images in my mind and potential messages I might want to convey. I have been collecting various coloured and textured papers for years, so I go through what I have and choose accordingly. The quality of the paper does impact the longevity of the work, so I try to use acid-free paper and glue. Sunlight is another enemy of paper collage, so my work needs to be framed behind glass and kept away from direct light.” [. . .]
For full article, see https://trinidadexpress.com/features/local/the-art-of-caribbean-futurism/article_65341b88-253e-11ef-ae2e-5b400cb7ebd8.html
[Shown above: “Flood in de main road.”]
The exhibition:
“The Traces that Ending Worlds Leave Behind”
Kvita Mongroo
Until
Soft Box Gallery, 9 Alcazar Street, St Clair, Port-of-Spain
https://www.facebook.com/softboxartgallery (posts since May 15, 2024)
https://www.instagram.com/softboxgallery (posts since May 15, 2024)
Follow the artist at:
https://kvita.art/about-the-artist
https://www.instagram.com/kvita_artist
[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] Kimberly Wallace (TrinidadExpress) reviews the work of Kvita Mongroo, which has been on view at the Soft Box Gallery, on Alcazar Street, St Clair, Trinidad. The Caribbean is best known for its diverse cultures and food, carnivals, spectacular beaches and friendly locals, however
