A new book by Malene Barnett celebrates more than 60 artists, designers and artisans whose work is shaped by their Caribbean roots.
Published by Craftsman, Crafted Kinship: Within the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers examines a range of multifaceted practices influenced by diaspora. Whether drawing on connections to land and memory or speaking to colonial history and African origins, each creative shares insights into their practices, histories and communities through insightful interviews.
Several artists previously featured on Colossal contributed their stories to the nearly 400-page tome. For example, Firelei Báez discusses how her work strives to center the Caribbean within a global context by capturing traditions such as Carnival or perfectly translating the way sunlight shines through her grandmother’s backyard in the Dominican Republic.
Similarly, Morel Doucet explains how foregrounding his Haitian identity has allowed him to tell his own story, rather than letting others decide who or what his delicate, ceramic sculptures are about.
Also included in the book are April Bey, who illuminates the relationship between opulence and a prosperous future, and Sonya Clark, who unravels the Eurocentric distinction between art and craft. Barnett is also an artist and maker who provides a glimpse into her studio and meticulous ceramic practices.
As a whole, Created kinship focuses on the processes, considerations and histories found in a wide range of works, drawing connections between each element, the creator and their ancestral ties.
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