Artist Statement

Tessa creates layered visual images which privilege things that have been rendered invisible, taken for granted or seen as mundane and everyday. As a multi ethnic woman artist from Trinidad, identity, heritage and our connection to nature and the land are themes which serve as main threads in her work. Tessa’s work is thus a celebration of Trinidadianess and its complexed diversity, and hybridity, whilst focusing on empowering women.

Additionally, Tessa explores the silences and gaps in history of the unremembered, and using fragments found in archives, she reconstructs narratives creating visual representations which celebrate the contributions and legacies of women brought to the region as exploited labour. Based on a combination of photographs, sketches, and memory. Her current work combines the matriarchal painting legacies of her Igbo, West African and Bihari, East Indian, foremothers whose traditions have not been recognized in the Caribbean. By incorporating Uli and Madhubani into the artworks she creates pieces reflective of her own mixed ancestry which honours the memory of her enslaved and indentured foremothers.

Tessa works primarily with watercolour as this art material is one of the more environmentally friendly mediums. Having a background in fashion design she uses the vibrancy, colour, fluidity and textures produced from watercolour to capture the Caribbean essence. However, as her pieces are often nuanced, Tessa combines handmade papers, archive images, and cultural embellishments to reflect her own mixed heritage Trinidadian aesthetic.

Tessa Alexander holds an MFA in Cultural Studies, her project an investigation of the impact of mothering and motherhood on art practice entitled Nurturing the Outside Child and an AA in fashion design. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and internationally, and can be found in collections around the world. She is currently completing her PhD in Cultural Studies, her project entitled Imaging the Art of My Foremothers.