Contemporary Trinidadian art is in a rich vein of form and it’s undeniable that women are at the forefront of this evolution. It’s imperative that the Trinidadian government develop a thorough plan to systemically improve the treatment of the nation’s women! Every time a Trinidadian woman is harmed, it’s not only a loss to the nation but it’s a derivation of the Caribbean’s leadership. Trinidadian women deserve to be protected, honored and empowered because of their diversity, innovation and willingness to contribute to the region’s artistic development..
At the helm of this evolution in Trinidadian art is Contemporary Embroidery Artist – Nneka Jones. Jones is no stranger to adulation for her art, having already been featured in Colossal, TIME magazine, and The Washington Post. When celebrities like Pharrel Williams have already connected with you on social media, it’s easy to feel as though you have arrived. Much to the contrary, Jones is a super humble and extremely modest woman, who is really only interested in having her work speak for her.
Jones has trod a similar path to her colleague, and another powerful woman in contemporary Trinidadian art – Marie -Ange Pollonais. Both attended the prestigious University of Tampa but Jones spared us no details in sharing how her journey as a creative started, back in Trinidad & Tobago. “I’ve always been into the arts, even since primary school. Even when we had science classes going on, I was always more interested in drawing the skeletal system perfectly than paying attention to the lesson that was actually going on in class.” she stated.
On countless occasions, contemporary artists struggle to fit into the rigid education system that we have in the Caribbean. Jones was blessed to have had a more artistically, edifying experience and she explained that: “Even when I went to Bishop Anstey High School in Port of Spain, they gave me good foundation there and they had great art teachers. The teachers realized I had a passion for art and the technical ability, so they helped me to develop that. Every regional exam I took for art, both in CSEC and CAPE, I placed first in the Caribbean.”
Jones understood early, that her talent could take her to places outside of her homeland and that she had the potential to become a cultural ambassador in the region through art. “For CSEC in 2014 , I had won an award for 3D visual art. All the awardees were invited to Jamaica for a special ceremony where we met the Prime Minister. That was the first time I realized that I could go places with my art and that I could achieve greatness with art.”
As a contemporary embroidery artist, Jones employs an immensely technical approach to her art. She spoke briefly about how art influences her work stating that: “It’s interesting because I feel a lot of my work draws from art history but history is constantly being made. So my art focuses on capturing modern history and portraiture. My work draws from the most recent occurrences in history and chooses the most modern part of that “The moment that Jones was commissioned by The Washington Post, to create a piece to celebrate the inauguration Kamala Harris into white house as Vice President; clearly depicts her capability to capture modern history.
The publicity and exposure that Jones has been able to garner for her art, is not as a result of unfounded privilege or nepotism. It’s the meritocratic reward to Jones, for wanting to be able to balance creativity and creative entrepreneurship. Throughout Jones’ academic life, she retained business courses and in fact was a marketing minor at the University of Tampa. From as far back as CSEC and CAPE, she took all business subjects along with Art. “I don’t think the business thing came from me at all. I came with the art side of it, but the business thing came from people telling me I needed to have a plan b. With my parents it was 50/50. They were always supportive of my sisters and I, finding our own path and creative flow. They were pretty strict so they always had that aspect of telling us we need to have structure. They felt that people who studied business usually had that structure. “
The entrepreneurial acumen that Jones’ attributes to her family is not the only endearing quality that they instilled in her. We suspect that her charming modesty, agreeableness and self-efficacy were all derived from her strong family background. Jones handles the pressure of being at the forefront of Trinidadian visual art with a sense of grace and reticence , that is truly refreshing.
