NAME: Tau Lewis
AGE: 23
ISLAND: Jamaica
CRAFT: Sculpture
HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND AFFECTED YOUR LIFE/ WORK?
I think a lot about displacement, or the feeling if being displaced. I know I have a lot of fire in my history, or I guess the story of how I got here. I'm interested in that collective fire that lives inside tropical bodies. I think blackness embodies resourcefulness and movement and beauty. Everything I make is in consideration of that.
Island people are interesting because many of us don't know our far away ancestry. The dispersal of island people fascinates me. Imagining my history that I don't know. I'm obsessed with story telling.
I make work about blackness because it feels good to use my hands to tell these stories. I really dedicate my body to the process, and everything I make is infused with very personal, loving gestures. Blackness is the most complex, misunderstood, misrepresented and never-ending story.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU (UPCOMING PROJECTS)?
I will be working towards a few exhibitions, one of which is a two person show with TALWST at Cooper Cole in Toronto. I've been experimenting with large scale full figures. I'm playing around with whatever materials I have handy.
Lately I've been publicly examining my own very personal narratives with these figures. TALWST makes stunning drawings, often asking about ancestors. It'll be an important show.
After the exhibition, I'm going to learn how to use a sewing machine. I sew a lot by hand, but I want to make more and make bigger.
I'm also going to travel to meet some artists I admire and have some conversations. I want a research period. It's been a “go go go” time, and now I'm looking forward to being slow and absorbing.
Photo by: José Manuel Girona