The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

FINDING beauty in the mundane and discarded is the focus of artist Keisha Oliver’s “The Forgotten Seed” series. Now mounted in the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, the portraits depict the inconspicuous beauty of a coconut seed.

Keisha first embarked on working on the series when a call went out in December 2011 for artists to submit their artwork for the Transforming Spaces tour under the theme ‘Fibre’.

At the time Keisha had just moved back to the Bahamas after studying and living in the United Kingdom for nine years and was not actively involved in the Bahamian art scene.

Her photography series “The Forgotten Seed” was not only a response to the call by Transforming Spaces, but also became a way for Keisha to establish herself as an emerging Bahamian artist.

“Initially, the focus of ‘The Forgotten Seed’ was to only highlight the aesthetics of a single discarded coconut seed,” she told Tribune Arts and Entertainment.

“I had hoped by capturing the details of its surface and texture I could illustrate how something that is often left to decay conceals so much natural, uncelebrated beauty. As time progressed, I saw the potential the work had to address the relationship of social and environmental issues in a creative way that involved human interaction.

“Humanising the project by involving Bahamians from each island to find and deliver a discarded coconut from each of the major islands of the Bahamas became an interesting social experiment and the focal point of the collection. The fact that in a way each coconut represents a person and a place within our archipelago gave birth to a story behind the work that often instantly inspires a sense of curiosity and sentiment with its audience. Deeply rooted in the themes of consciousness and perception, the photographed coconuts challenge the audience to appreciate and find beauty in the mundane and the forgotten.”

“The Forgotten Seed” is a limited edition series that currently belongs to two art collections.

In New York, it is a part of Bahamian ceramicist Anina Major’s art collection; Anina is a good friend of Keisha’s. And in New Providence it belongs to her personal collection.

Additionally, Baha Mar acquired rights to reproduce a selection of images from the series as artwork for the guest rooms in the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The series is not the only thing that Keisha has been working on; she has also been kept busy with other projects with the College of the Bahamas.

“Outside of my teaching responsibilities I dedicate a lot of my time to mentoring COB art students and those with an interest in design and photography.

“These students are engaged in a variety of opportunities including live projects, internships and training, which are designed to prepare them for developing their professional, creative practice and engendering an appreciation for community contribution.

“This semester I have assisted with two recently developed campus projects, the Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank Blue Water Leadership Grant and CANstruction.”

COB is the 2014/15 recipient of the Blue Water Leadership Project, a one-year initiative designed to raise awareness about the role water plays in maintaining the tourism industry in New Providence and promoting the effective conservation and management of water resources.

Keisha also assisted with the facilitation of a student logo design competition to brand the initiative and will be working with the committee and the winning student to develop the brand and the initiative’s visual presence.

CANstruction is an international non-profit organisation which hosts competitions, exhibitions and events showcasing structures made entirely of full cans of food.

After the structures are built, the creations are displayed to the public as an exhibition and then donated to local food banks. This year, Keisha said, CANstruction Bahamas made a significant donation to Hands for Hunger.

Keisha is also currently working on a long-term photography project which focuses on Bahamian traditions that is expected to be completed by next summer.