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Four artists who met through the Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf, a fine arts academy in Germany, are participating in a 12-week art residency at the Luise Kimme Museum in Tobago. The artists, one from TT, were asked to explore the cultural landscape of TT to work on pieces for the first Heat Waves exhibition which opened on 16 July.
Trini Ryan Huggins has worked in the academy with Tadashi Toyama, Jana Zatvarnicka and Janis Lohrer for seven years. Their different traditions, cultures and languages have not stopped them from producing work for the local exhibition.
Huggins described himself as a figurative painter who brings together ideas about alternative youth subcultures within queer communities. He said he examines queer references and terminologies in terms of the body, social identity and gender, which can be considered a growing language. He said his paintings in the Heat Waves exhibition will “inspire life in quirky social gatherings”.
His pieces depict pool parties using sharp lights, dark shadows and impressionist style figures, all men, to fill the painting which will highlight the themes of a fun and festive atmosphere. Huggins will also feature life-size figures supported by light and decorations to portray young people who stimulate a sense of lust and confidence while embracing youth and beauty.
Toyoma’s paintings combine his personal experiences with fictional events to form his world. He said his paintings are constantly changing as they are heavily influenced by his discoveries in nature and culture, which help in the color selection process.
In Trinidad, Huggins and Toyama will launch the second part of the Heat Waves exhibition at Y Art Gallery, Port of Spain on August 5, from 6 to 8 p.m.
