EQUANIMITY

Acrylic on canvas, 114.3 x 63.5, November 2018

This piece was inspired by a photo I took of a street in London near Notting Hill, a neighborhood which once a year brings together a variety of Caribbean culture. I found the neighborhood to be a special place, and its rich history was what inspired me to turn it onto a canvas. Memories of walking through this neighborhood with my father are important to my experience as an artist as I believe it reflects a theme of childhood innocence and curiosity. Specifically, this image resurfaces my childhood as a young boy bonding with my father and learning about Jamaican culture in London. I remember going into Jamaican record shops up the street and my father telling me about his love for their music and style. The choice to combine these themes of isolation and entrapment with childhood memories evokes the reality that one will never be able to return to their childhood once they age older. It therefore serves as an exploration of two clashing themes.