One of the fundamentally flawed ways we socialize our young men in the Caribbean is the emphasis we place on hyper-masculinity. In many ways, we raise our young Caribbean men to feel as though they have to be loud and rambunctious in order to be respected. Possessing the class and debonair of a Purist Avant-Garde artist, Shane Eastmond’s presence is a refreshing departure from the aforementioned hyper-masculinity. Extolled by his peers as a man of mystique, Shane moves to the cadence of his own drum. He comes and goes as he pleases but knows how to navigate gracefully through the purblind nuances of social life in Barbados. Any creative compass will point you to Eastmond, as the most influential Art Director / Creative Director in Barbados. Evidence of his influence is the overwhelming turnout to the last staging of his art fiesta 6PM Splash. It is no coincidence that monumental entertainment figures like Rihanna and Tanaya Henry connect with Shane on Instagram, to keep an eye on the visionary’s next move. A genius in it’s purest Caribbean form, Shane sat down to chat with us over Calamari and a few glasses of Pellegrino.
Shane’s journey as a creative is one which depicts manifestation and alignment. The Jamaican born artist moved to Barbados at the tender age of 8 months and adorns his multi-cultural Caribbean upbringing as a vessel that has shaped his desire for having a regional impact with his art. When we inquired about how he draws inspiration for his art he posits : “My influences are very immediate and taken directly from what’s around me. I didn’t imagine becoming an artist. I knew I wanted to be creative in many aspects but never thought I would be an artist.” Though he is now known for his extraordinary paintings, Shane’s creative journey actually began as a graphic designer. Graphic design exposed Shane to the rudimentary principles of art. Many artists explore traditional mediums of art before they are exposed to digital mediums but that is not the Eastmond Way ; so after his short-lived spell as a graphic designer concluded, Shane began painting.
A profound lover of Art History, Shane lauds mentors and professors like Therese Hadchity and Tonya Wiles at the Barbados Community College for their tremendous input that cultivated his artistic appreciation. He reminisced saying: “I had a tutor by the name of Tonya Wiles. She just allowed us to express ourselves through exploring color and form. It was in those moments I think I found something unique.” Shane duly sites one of the founding fathers of abstract expressionism – Jackson Pollock, as one of his primary influences. The manifestation and alignment didn’t hit Shane until one day while in marketing class; he doodled his way into an unforgettable moment that birthed the inception of his art career. “I like to doodle while I’m learning and I drew a Hummingbird. So I named the piece “The Movement of the Hummingbird” and this was a symbol of birth for me knowing that I was actually going to pursue my passion. Seeing the language and line work allowed me to explore deeper the aspects of creativity that I was already inspired by.” Shane eloquently describes this piece as a symbol of birth to his artistic career but he could also be alluding to his physical birthplace Jamaica, seeing that Shane was born in Jamaica and the Doctor Bird which is a specie of hummingbird is the national symbol.
As Shane progressed through his program at Barbados Community College, he did his first art exhibition which further developed his creative facets. His first exhibition piece was titled Predators & Prey. This was the initiation into Shane’s love of constructivism and deconstructivism. “I often thought about the wonders of architecture because I always enjoyed Technical Drawing. I was just always interested in fashion and the way things fit which led me to want to start designing clothes.” His clothing line STEIN fuses high fashion and streetwear using concepts of deconstructivism. Shane said that: “Shopping in Barbados allowed me to be more selective and get more into fine tuning the garments I have and tailoring them. I was more interested in the way things fit more so than the glorification of brands.”
It’s easy to see why patrons come out in droves to experience Art curated by Eastmond and his peers at 6PM Splash, based on the clarity of insight that he expresses himself with. The last staging of 6PM Splash though historic, was a bit controversial. The exponential growth in the masses willingness to support the event resulted in a crowded venue. A few patrons were so absorbed by the allure of the art on display that they had moments of temporary disobedience to Covid-19 protocols, much to the disliking of Law Enforcement. “We have to recalibrate because we have a lot of beautiful plans and good things coming. Right now we are able to see how much we’ve grown together and as an event. We are really able to see the impact it has on people and the responsibility we have. Moving forward, we have to fine tune our goals and pursue them more diligently ensuring that the art continues to be beautifully displayed in a bio-secure environment” Shane stated.
Barbados should consider themselves a blessed nation to have such an emphatic visionary; who is committed to exposing the next generation to the mystifying world of art. Let not your heart be troubled but rest assured that the next time we catch up with Shane, he would have divulged into other arenas of art. Maybe a musical collaboration with Earl Sweatshirt produced by Haleek Maul? You just never know; but for now look no further than Shane Eastmond.
