This exhibition perfectly mirrors Tern's reason for inception, which stemmed from the necessity for a space to showcase and propel Caribbean artists that exist outside of the commonly Eurocentric focused art world. The artists have studied all over the world but trace back memories to an underrepresented upbringing. Fragmented and dreamlike, Notions of Self transfixes the viewer with endless conceptual possibilities representative of the individual experience. Each artist gives insight into a personal cultural analysis through mixed media renderings of figures, nature, and animals.
The work of Johnson depicts strategically colourful abstractions contrasted with darkness to wax autobiographical on the experience of being queer, black, male, and forming an identity in Jamaican Dancehall street culture. The intention in the somewhat imperceptible figures juxtapose a similarity to the works of Whitehead whose subjects blur boundaries of human and landscape.
Knowles follows a similar path but utilises deliberate brush strokes to portray animal subject matter, with a substantially sized canvas to envelop the viewers into the artist's surreal world. Schmid focuses on the contrast of negative space and deconstruction in the contoured figure drawings whose line work is complementary with Whitehead.
Notions of Self narrates a confident and honest look at lived experiences through exploration of archetypes, memory, and vulnerability. Each artist's distinctive style and independent memories deliver an expressive and moving depiction of self in the neocolonial world.