ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

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Taisha is a Barbadian multidisciplinary artist working in performance, sculpture, body adornment, and installation. Her work seeks to promote solidarity with the land and investigate the liminality of life in the Caribbean after colonialism and into the Anthropocene. Taisha invents ‘devices’ and explores performances for self-ˇhealing and facilitation of social dialogue about climate justice while proposing methods for rebirth, reclamation, and reimagining the value of Caribbean people and communities.

Taisha received her BFA from Pratt Institute in 2018 and currently works in Barbados collaborating with biochemists, farmers and medical practitioners to pool knowledge and resources and shed light on social issues.

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EDUCATION

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2018 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing Pratt Institute, NY

2013 Associate Degree,Visual Arts Barbados Community College, Barbados

 

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CERTIFICATES

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2020 The Health Effects of Climate Change - Harvard x EdX

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ARTIST RESIDENCIES/GRANTS

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2021 

  • Arts, Letters and Numbers Residency - Averille Park, NY

  • Caribbean Linked VI Artist Residency - Ateliers ’89 Foundation in collaboration with ARC Inc.,The Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc.

  • BANFF Emerging Visual Artist Intensive - Banff Centre, Canada​

 

2020

  • Catapult Stay Home Artist Residency - Fresh Milk artist Platform x Kingston Creative x American Friends of Jamaica - Caribbean

  • National Cultural Foundation of Barbados Cultural Industries Development Fund Grant- Barbados

 

2019

  • Chautauqua Institute Artist Residency - Chautauqua, NY

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GROUP EXHIBITIONS

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2021

  • Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute 20-Year Anniversary Exhibition, Munson Williams Proctor Art Museum, Utica, NY

  • New York City Jewelry Week 2021 Virtual Booth

  • 'Crucible'- Print exhibition with Current Obsession Mag - Munich, Germany

 

2020

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2019

  • "Who Owns The Island?" as part of the Pratt Jewelry x NYCJW Group of Shows, Brooklyn, NY

  • Chautauqua Annual Emerging Artists Exhibition, Fowler Kellog Art Centre, Chautauqua, NY

  • Under Exposed, Adornment and Theory, Chicago, IL

  • Jonathan Adler x NYCJW x NYC Design, Jonathan Adler Showroom, Manhattan, NY

 

2018

  • BFA Jewelry Thesis Exhibition, Rubelle and Norman Schafler Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

  • MADE: Makers Across Disciplines Engage - Juried Student Slideshow, SNAG Conference Portland, OR

  • Pratt Design Show (As Part of NYC x DESIGN), Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

  • Breaking Bread on MLK Day: a juried presentation of Pratt students work for unity empowerment and activism. Higgins HallAuditorium, NY

 

2017

  • Drawing Installation Open Studios Exhibition, Machinery building, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

  • Nexus: SNAG Annual Juried Student Exhibition, Sheraton Hotel, New Orleans, LA

  • Junior Jewelry Show, Design Center Gallery, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

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ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS

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2021

  • Artwork Archive Business Accelerator Grant finalist - 1 of 60 finalist chosen from a pool of 3300 artists.

  • Women in the Arts - Barbados' National Cultural Foundation acknowledged 31 women who have contributed significantly to Barbados' cultural development

 

2019

  • Early Career Presenter, Society of North American Goldsmiths- one of 5 artist chosen to present their work at SNAG’s 50th conference

 

2018

  • One For The Future, New York Jewelry Week- One of 8 emerging artist to be highlighted as the future of jewelry design in New York

  • CFDA+ Design Graduate , The Council of Fashion Designers of America- CFDA annually selects exemplary new talent from a pool of graduate around the world to be featured on their curated platform

  • Pratt Circle Award, Pratt Institute- for Outstanding Academic Achievement, Pratt Institute

  • Outstanding Merit Award, Pratt Institute- Awarded to the student with the highest GPA in each Major of the BFA program

  • Pratt Excellence in Academic Achievement Award

  • Fashion Law Bootcamp Scholarship nominee, Pratt Institute and Fashion Law Institute

  • 1st Prize in Pratt Senior Jewelry Awards Show- most outstanding jewelry collection and presentation

 

2017

  • 1st Prize in Pratt Junior Jewelry Awards Show- Most outstanding work on exhibit

 

2016

  • Designer of Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence National Monument- winner of a national competition to design Barbados’ national monument

 

2015

  • Easton Pribble Memorial Award- Most outstanding student who excels overall, PrattMWP

  • Alfred H. Wardle Memorial Award - Most outstanding student who excels in jewelry/metal arts, PrattMWP

 

2014

  • Freshman of The Year Award, PrattMWP

 

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PERFORMANCES/PRESENTATIONS

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2021

  • Visiting Artist Lecturer - RISD Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI

  • Visiting Artist Lecturer - Metropolitan State University Denver, CO

  • Art Jewelry Forum - AJF Live virtual presentation, San Antonio, TX

 

2020

  • Art and Climate Change: Bridging the Gap - Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research, Education & Design, Barbados - Lecturer

  • Visual Diaries, Chatauqua Visual Arts Institute- Visiting Lecturer

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2019​

  • "Conversations on Autonomy Through Wearing- Image attitude and creating space" panel discussion, Brooklyn, NY

  • "Who owns the island?" Solo performance- Bridgetown, Barbados

  • VACI Lecture series- Artists in residence works- Co-presented with artist Kris Rumman, Chautauqua, NY

  • "Dinner" R and Company x NYCJW- Manhattan, NY

      "Dinner" was a presentation of my work in a four course meal consisting of materials, concepts and accompanied by scents.

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PUBLICATIONS

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2021

  • Crucible x Current obsession Mag, Munich Jewelry Week 2021

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2019​

  • American Craft magazine, December/January 2019 Issue 

  • Caribbean Beat Magazine, November/December 2019 Issue

  • 2018 Jewelry and Metals Survey (JAMS), Vol. 2, December/January 2019, p. 78, 177,178

 

2018

  • CFDA+ 2018 DESIGN Talent Book , p. 6, 36,37,38,39

  • Barbados consulate honors Diasporans during Black History Month, Caribbean Life News online

 

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