Identity, Farming and Art with Alexandra Antoine
Alexandra Antoine (courtesy of the artist)
Alexandra Antoine is an interdisciplinary artist based in Orlando, FL and Chicago, IL. Her work addresses the themes of identity and culture through the use of collage, portraiture, and most recently, farming. She uses the portrait as a tool to re/present individuals of the African diaspora while exploring her relationship to them within the larger narrative of her Haitian identity. She holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts and Arts Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been exhibited at Rootwork Gallery, Urban Growers Collective, Hyde Park Art Center, Roots & Culture, Roman Susan Gallery, Chicago Art Department and Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, IL. Her work is also part of the Arts in Embassies program in the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Do you remember your first contact with art and what it was like?
I do remember seeing paintings hung up around my childhood home that my mother got from Haiti. They depicted scenes of a lakou, some houses and people walking around. I remember them being so colorful and vibrant, like the reds, yellows and blues were so nice and bright. Living in Miami at the time and having visited Haiti before, those paintings fit into our home perfectly and they were definitely my first introduction to art! I'm appreciative of the fact that the first artworks I saw were a reflection of me.
Do you have a creative process when making art?
I wouldn't say necessarily a process, more like a ritual in a way. So before I start creating work, I usually always play soca music because it sets the vibe for my day overall. I always put love and positive energy into my work because that's what I want people to feel when they see it, so I create that type of space. I do lay things out first, when it comes to my collage work, and move things around quite a bit before settling on a placement. When I'm painting a particular subject I'll usually keep experiences I've had with that person in mind as I get to reflect on the things I've learned from them and how I can incorporate those things into the painting, even if it's just a particular feeling or emotion.
Does your identity as an individual play an important role in your work or are you more inspired by the collective experience when creating?
My identity definitely plays a role in the work I create, not just my culture and my background, but also my personality. I'm a very upbeat, positive person, so the work I create will have that tone. I love to smile and be surrounded by brightness, whether it's colors or energy, so when you see my work, I want you to smile and appreciate it. Although I understand that I am part of a bigger culture and people, I like my work to speak from my own personal experience and not what others have to say about it. So when you see my work, you'll know it!
Carnival Roots (11" x 13.5" collage on paper)
There are a lot of vegetable elements present in your work, especially food. We also know you are interested in farming. Are these two things related?
They are definitely related! I also have to say that I LOVE to eat and food is also one of my love languages! Over the past few years I've grown more and more interested in food, what certain foods represent and cultural foodways. Food really does connect us all; no matter where you live in the world you have some type of relationship to food, whether it's through religious holidays, harvest celebrations or communal rituals we all have a connection to food. I come from a family of Haitian farmers so I'm learning more about it through reading and doing it so that I can keep it going, even if it's seen as lay people's work with all our technological advancements, it's a part of my ancestry that's worth honoring.
What do you hope to achieve with work as an artist?
Honestly, I always desire that my work resonates with the people it's supposed to resonate with. My work reflects myself, my ancestors who came before me and those who will come. My work has a level of pride to it that comes from a place of pure love! It reaches people on a global scale and connects with them where they are, no matter their background or upbringing, something in my work speaks to them!
Support and know more about Alexandra’s work on Instagram and her website.
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