Chickcharney
Averia3
VISUAL ARTIST
Averia Wright
By Yolanda Hanna Photographs courtesy of Averia Wright and Jackson Petit
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Giant Anenome
veria Wright is a Bahamian interdisciplinary artist with a bold, brilliant and unique perspective. Her art is unapologetic. It transfixes your eyes, captures your mind and diverts your every thought to focus on the mystifying displays that will lock you into a gaze. Simply put, prepare yourself to be amazed, because you will stare, and stare, and stare, then you will begin to ask questions. For instance, you may ask: Why did Averia choose to walk from Bain Town to Bay Street, dressed in an Androsia print body suit with a straw belt cinched around her waist and her face covered by a straw mask with a raffia beard? Or you may ask: What is the symbolic meaning behind the Mixed Media Installation piece titled, “Elevating the Blue Light”? And how did she create bronzed-casted straw breastplates, using burlap, raffia and other textures? Wright stirs up conversation, provokes questions and challenges the mind. Trust me, she’s just that good. I had the privilege of diving into the mind of this fascinating artist, to learn what inspires her, what path did she travel to get where she is today, and would she do it all over again. What inspires your art and where do you ‘draw’ your inspiration to create? My inspiration is drawn from my family heritage. My mother, Carolyn Wright, my aunts and my grandmother are/were straw vendors; and my father is a contractor. They are all artists in their own right and my biggest inspiration.
the way we make ourselves more palatable to guests with the way we speak and negotiate to make a sale. So, in my work, I choose to address that ambivalence I had and I try to reimagine authenticity versus stereotypes.
You are an interdisciplinary artist. How do you use that art form to tell your stories?
I noticed you use elements of Bahamian culture in your artwork like straw and Androsia. I thought that was fascinating! Is Bahamian culture the focus or theme in your work? And are you inspired by other cultures?
As a child, I worked alongside my mother in the straw market and I learned every trick of the trade. But I had an issue with the way we transact with tourists,
My work navigates all aspects of Bahamian life through the use of cultural material. I think it’s best when making commentary, social or otherwise, to use the medium
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