Visual Artists

VISUAL ARTISTS Domonique Jacobs Bfly by Design

‘Domonique Jacobs is a caterpillar who transformed into a butterfly’

By Yolanda Hanna Photographs Courtesy Of The Artist

Bloom, 2019

She represents metamorphous. She struggled to embrace her identity as a visual artist and a hairstylist because varying opinions insisted that her two passions should not be merged or coexist. This caused Jacobs to question her God-given talent. As a result, her confidence and self-esteem diminished from the scrutiny she received from being different.

It took an encounter with a woman diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 to convince Jacobs that her art mattered.

The woman saw one of Jacob’s creations hanging in a restaurant in downtown Nassau, and she was so moved by the artwork that she requested to meet the artist who created it.

The piece she fell in love with was called “Affirmations”. It was inspired by bible verses in Proverbs 31 and Jacobs used braided hair on a canvas to spell out different affirmations based on a virtuous, God-fearing woman.

She created the piece to motivate herself to overcome the feelings of doubt she was experiencing at that time. Jacobs decided to be bold, step outside her comfort zone and share her work with the world, so she decided to hang her art inside the restaurant.

When the woman contacted Jacobs, she told Jacobs about her recent cancer diagnosis and the fear she felt about undergoing chemotherapy. She was fearful about losing her hair but when she saw Jacobs’ art, she felt inspired by the words on the canvas and she offered to buy the piece.

This was a huge turning point for Domonique Jacobs—she started to regain her confidence and continued to develop her skill.

Nowadays, the contemporary artist continues to incorporate mixed-media elements with traditional techniques in her unique style of art.

Jacobs holds a BFA in Fine Arts Education from University of The Bahamas, and she has received international attention selling and exhibiting her works on a global scale. She uses her platform to share her unique message and to uplift and inspire her fellow Bahamian people. UA

Melanin Absorbs Light, 2018

Goddess Of The Sea, 2017 The Mermaid Collection Stickers

VISUAL ARTISTS Deime’ Ubani

‘Art found Deime’ Ubani’

By Yolanda Hanna Photographs Courtesy Of The Artist

‘What’s The Difference ...’ Mixed Media on Wood

She is a Bahamian multi-disciplinary artist of Nigerian and Barbadian descent living and working in Nassau, Bahamas. Ubani embraced art as a child, studied art in college, and acknowledges that she was fortunate to have the support of her family every step of the way on her journey as an artist. When a serious car accident restricted her mobility, it was her love for art that kept her motivated and inspired her to make the decision that changed her life.

Ubani was confined to a bed for one year following that accident. She couldn’t walk and her doctors were uncertain if she would regain the ability to fully walk again.

So, what did Ubani do? She painted and immersed herself in her art.

When she was able to walk again, Ubani took a job that distracted her from the very thing that motivated her to walk again—her art.

She was unhappy, and her unhappiness led to the decision to leave her 9-5 job and become a fulltime artist. And although the COVID-19 pandemic began shortly after she left her job, she had no regrets and has never looked back. ‘Speechless’ Mixed Media on Wood

Nostalgic

Deime’ Ubani is happy and fulfilled. She refers to herself as an “everything artist”; her mixed heritage influences her love of colour and use of varying mediums—acrylics, oil pastels, oil stains, magazine clippings, wood, canvas, found objects and epoxy resin. What’s The Difference...

She loves working with bright colours; she thinks out of the box; her work meshes the gap between time, effects and memory, and she uses these components to highlight her Bahamian-Nigerian heritage.

And although she works in varying styles, she prefers abstract art because it allows her to be expressive and free flow without limitations.

Her advice to emerging artists is to stay motivated, keep pushing and to educate themselves about different cultures and techniques.

Ubani’s work can often be seen at Sixty 2 Sixty Art Gallery in Nassau. UA

VISUAL ARTISTS Matthew Wildgoose

‘The magic from that warm smile and joyful spirit’

By Yolanda Hanna Photographs Courtesy of AYU Photography

Matthew Wildgoose In Studio

Alot of things have happened since we interviewed visual artist Matthew Wildgoose two years ago for the Up and Away January-March 2021 issue. It was post-Hurricane Dorian and pre-COVID19; Grand Bahama Island was in full recovery mode, COVID-19 had not yet entered our vocabulary, and Wildgoose discussed his childhood, influences, new art gallery and career as a full-time artist. Fast forward to 2022, Wildgoose is now an art teacher at Bishop Michael Eldon High School in Freeport; his It Is What It Is (IIWII) art gallery in Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport is still going strong, and he has created new paintings for an exhibition he is launching at his gallery late this year.

Matthew Wildgoose has clearly been busy.

The paintings he created for the exhibition were all inspired by biblical scriptures and prophecies related to what has been happening in the world. He has yet to decide on a name for the exhibit, but he felt that there was so much going on that he needed to step to his canvas to “talk” about it.

He acknowledges that Dorian and the pandemic have made an impact on him. One big change he has noticed – he now paints more.

Wildgoose has six new paintings ready to display, and he has seen that an appreciation for art has grown steadily within the community over the past two years. He has been frequently contracted for murals and private pieces, his IIWII Sip & Paint sessions are extremely popular, and he was even invited to host a Sip & Paint this past summer at the Coconut Grove Bahamian Goombay Summer Festival.

And now that he is an art instructor to our nation’s youth, he has come across a lot of amazing talent in the classroom, and he feels obligated to do all that he can to encourage the students to hone their skills and appreciate their gifts.

He often gives advice to students interested in pursuing art as a career. He explains to them how important it is to focus on the talent that comes naturally to them, and he motivates them to stay focused on what they do best.

Wildgoose assures his students that when they elevate their skills to be the best, the money will come. UA

Entrance to ‘It Is What It Is’ Art Studio in Port Lucaya

‘Slave Girl’ ‘Untitled’

‘You Will See It No More’