Mixed media artist Curtis Talwst Santiago depicts the celebratory practices of the Trinidadian carnival in Moving through burning haze, his solo exhibition at Cooper Cole in Toronto.
Featured centrally in the works, the Jab Jab character in the festival parade “appears as someone spirited, exuberant, and potentially sinister,” the gallery says in notes for the show.
“To reflect on the nuances of this character, Santiago has drawn dozens of portraits that meditate on Jab Jab’s depth and multiplicity, and how he is used as an instructional figure.” (read more about the significance of Trinidadian tradition in Santiago’s work, here) Above: Jab Molassie Posse, Mixed Media on paper, 18″ X 14″
Santiago has such an interesting background, including an apprenticeship with Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and at the New York Studio School. Born in Edmonton, he has exhibited extensively in Canada and the U.S. and has a long list of grants and awards (here).
As a mixed media artist, Santiago also sculpts, and you can see more of those works on his website, here.
His Instagram, here.
Cooper Cole gallery, here.
Top of Post: The places we will come and will be from, 2017-2023, spray paint, oil, charcoal, pastel, acrylic, laces and grommets on canvas. 144″ X 100″
Second Image: Untitled, 2022, spray paint, oil, charcoal, pastel and acrylic on canvas, 59″ X 102.37″
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