Alanis Forde is a contemporary Barbadian artist who specializes in expressionistic realism portraiture. She works mainly with oil paint and collage. Alanis attended the Barbados Community College and attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Studio art. She’s been in a number of group exhibitions at both local and international galleries; and The Barbados Historical Museum. Forde has just completed her second residency at the Chautauqua Institution Visual Arts Program in New York along with being featured in publications such as Sugarcane Magazine and local news sources. In the years she’s been creating, Alanis’ concepts are based primarily on the black female identity in an idealized, exotic, paradisiacal Caribbean space. 

“I am interested in escapism and what it means to live in a paradise space that is seen as a vacation or escape for others. What then is my escape? My paradise? That ‘third’ escape is what I am searching for. By creating my own paradisiacal landscapes a new concept emerges. Through my continued research culminating in the body of work I have created, I steer the conversation between feeling comfortable in my homeland and wanting to escape. There is a continuous dialogue between the figures and the paradise it’s submerged within. The use of dotted textures and vibrant patterns allows the viewer’s eye to be in constant motion, transporting them into paradisiacal spaces. The reoccurring figure is a proxy named Bubbles characterized by her electric blue hair and red lips. Bubbles navigates these landscapes documenting the essence of what it means to be both trapped and free of paradise.”