2 minute read
Melanistic Magazine - Vol 16
ARTIST PROFILE
Kareem Anthony Ferreira
Visual Storytelling at It's Best
by Sandrine
Art has always been a part of Kareem-Anthony Ferreira’s life. “I’ve always felt the need to create and the need to express myself that way,” explains Kareem.
A first-generation Canadian who’s strongly connected to his Trinidadian heritage, Kareem shares his experiences and memories through paintings. His painting subjects wear island print as an ironic critique of commercialized stereotypes of the Caribbean. Some viewers won’t realize the pattern doesn’t belong in the image, notes Kareem.
“It’s … kind of pointing the finger back, like ‘You’re the one who’s not really understanding where this is and what it is,’” says Kareem. “That isn’t how my family dresses all of the time.”
Kareem edits family photos and his own photos to draft what he will eventually paint. He also shapes the paintings’ texture by collaging material onto the canvas. Diverse art pieces he saw growing up inspired his unique art style.
“Seeing the possibilities of combining different media and different material into one kind of creative, collective piece—at a young age, I experienced that and saw that,” says Kareem.
At McMaster University, he put this creative experience into practice, completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts. However, he didn’t immediately leap into the field after graduation. Instead, he obtained a teaching degree and worked in education for several years.
As time went on, he realized it was important to trust he could make a living through art. His hard work paid off; both Lizzo and Lebron James have collected his work, and multiple galleries display his art. Moving forward, Kareem is looking at comparing his family’s past and present through his work. Summing up his upcoming plans, Kareem says: “Just keep making work and keep evolving with the work.”
Kareem-Anthony Ferreira’s work is on his website at www.kareem-anthonyferreira. com and on his Instagram, @kareemanthony.artist.
“It’s … kind of pointing the finger back, like ‘You’re the one who’s not really understanding where this is and what it is...”
