ÔCaribbean BooksÕ on the Wall Space
‘Caribbean Books’ Jamelie Hassan/Richard Bolai
a collaborative installation
Caribbean Books is a
collaborative installation between Richard Bolai & Jamelie Hassan. During
her Artist-in-Residency at CCA7 in December 2001, Canadian artist, Jamelie Hassan
met Trinidad artist Richard Bolai at a CCA7 Artist Talk Series. Hassan
recalls that “Richard asked an important question on copyright. His question
began a series of connections for us - revealing, when we were formally introduced,
that we had previously met in Toronto where Richard had lived for some years
while studying at the Ontario College of Art. We had moved in the same contemporary
art circles in Canada and had many people, places and books in common. Our mutual
attention to books and the state of books became the basis for our collaboration.”
The exhibit continues
until 31st August 2002, when it will then travel to exhibitions in Canada. This
collaboration is a work which reflects on the artists' dialogue of the Caribbean
through the physical reality of books.
Jamelie Hassan is an
artist working in London, Ontario, Canada. In her interdisciplinary installation
works she has worked with video and audio, photography, text, ceramic objects
and found materials to explore personal and public histories, cultural diversity,
and modes of communication and representation. She has exhibited internationally
and is also active as a lecturer, writer, and independent curator. Hassan's
cultural activism is also closely linked to her artistic practices, and much
of her work involves inter/cultural and inter-disciplinary collaborations with
artists, writers, craftspeople and institutions. In 2001 she was awarded Canada's
prestigious Governor General's Award in Visual Arts.
Jamelie Hassan has created
site-specific works and public art commissions. Her works are in numerous collections
including the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Museum/ London, London, Ontario;
the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; Ottawa Courthouse and Land Registrary,
Ottawa; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; The University of Western Ontario,
London, Canada and The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, U.S.A.
Richard Bolai lives
and works in Trinidad and considers himself a Bookbinder and Colourist. Trained
as a graphic designer, he continued his education at the Ontario College of
Art, Toronto where he obtained his post-graduate studies. In 1995 he returned
to Trinidad and formed a design house “RaBt” with a colleague, and
his knowledge of publications lead to his interest in the Art of bookbinding,
with a graphic twist. In 2002 he completed two years of Bookbinding. Since 1999
he has produced handmade Art Books / Artist books. Forty-five commissioned books
are circulated internationally, he says with passion that he is producing the
finest handmade books in the world.
The artists wish to
thank the Canadian High Commission in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Caribbean
Contemporary Arts; the Canada Council for the Arts, Ottawa; Richard Fung; Ron
Benner and Brian Walsh.
‘Caribbean Books’ was part of CCA’s continuous programme of exhibitions on the Wall Space at CCA7 from 4th July - 31st August 2002.