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VISUAL artist Tracey Johnson Casafranca’s exhibition Human explores emotions, in a departure from her usual work.
The exhibition, which ends on December 12, is being held at the new Arnim’s Art Galleria, 84 Woodford Street, the former studio of artist Boscoe Holder.
Casafranca said the oil paintings on canvas reflect human emotions captured as she explored the "more underworld" side of the country.
[caption id="attachment_861099" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Krishna Sukdeo and gallery owner Arnim Ali critique a painting by featured artist Tracey Johnson Casafranca, at Arnim's Art Gallery Ltd, Woodford Street, Port of Spain. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“My niece wanted to capture some photos of the more underworld parts of TT, and I said, 'I’m interested in that too, let’s go together.'
"So we went into all these places, and being in places that I was not accustomed going really opened my eyes to how wonderful and beautiful it is, even in the underprivileged areas. I know that may sound contradictory, but there’s so much beauty there, in the youth there who are just like the youth anywhere else. Maybe they have more of a colourful past, I don’t know, but I just saw things like: there’s no separation, there’s no division. So I wanted to create that in my exhibition.
[caption id="attachment_861098" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Featured artist Tracey Johnson Casafranca, right, and Carla Woo discuss the display. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
Traditionally, she said, "Trinidadian figurative art has been so patronising, like the bele dancers and all that kind of thing, and I wanted to show a side that was a lot more real and equally as beautiful, if not more beautiful, that has nothing to do with the stereotypical cliché things. I wanted to create figurative art that was beautiful and that’s where I’m coming in with a different angle, stuff that people may look at and think, 'What is the beauty in there?' – but if you look hard enough, you will see it. Unconventional beauty, but beauty all the same.”
Casafranca’s work, a combination of realism, expressionism, surrealism and the abstract, uses bold colours to depict familiar subjects with unexpected juxtapositions.
Viewers experience a sense of familiarity with the subjects of the paintings at first, before spotting images that draw them to the canvas to figure out how it was done. Schoolchildren, cars racing down roads, girls in white uniforms, baby dolls, a man looking out a window, and other familiar images are all given a slight twist which makes the viewer want to examine them more closely.
[caption id="attachment_861097" align="alignnone" width="719"] Artist Tracey Johnson Casafranca at her art exibition titled Human.- Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
Casafranca said this work is a complete departure from her previous style.
“I used to do stuff that was more conventional because I didn’t want to launch out. As an artist you have to balance between making money, doing something people like and expressing creativity, so I stifled my creativity a lot in the past.
"But now I’ve reached to the point where I really didn’t care. That being the case, I just expressed whatever I felt and took total freedom with it. This is my new work, this is just me. We all go through periods where we grow as people, and this is my growth time, this is where I am going, and it’s reflected here, it’s less inhibited.”
Viewing hours are Tuesday- Friday 11 am-6 pm and 10 am-4 pm on Saturdays. While walk-ins are accepted, patrons can contact the gallery beforehand to set up a viewing time.
 
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