Instituto Buena Bista, Curacao in collaboration with Fresh Milk and Barbados Community College (BCC), has the pleasure to announce that Barbadian Artist Versia Harris will be exhibiting on October 25th 2013.

Versia Harris together with British/Barbadian artist Nick Whittle is residing at the IBB as part of the IBB’s Junior/Senior exchange program and our efforts for an exchange project and collaboration with the BCC. Nick unfortunately had to take sudden leave for family matters, but he plans to return to finish his residency in the near future.

Versia Harris (1991) is a Barbadian artist living and working in Weston, St. James. She graduated from the Barbados Community College with a BFA in the Studio Art program in 2012, with an award from The Leslie’s Legacy Foundation for the most promising student. She recently completed her second local residency at The Fresh Milk Art Platform and her first international residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Vermont. Versia explains that in her work she explores the fantasies and experiences of an original character. The character is introduced to Walt Disney animations, and consequently layers what she desires from these animations onto her life, especially her physical self. Her relationship to the world around her changes, as she compares her reality and the fantasy of Disney Animated stories. She struggles with her perception of self being in complete contrast with the Disney princesses.

Sparked by her interest in storytelling, she created the character and story to generate a comparison between Walt Disney iconography and her reality. Despite the fabricated narrative, she addresses issues that intrigue her such as how one can be influenced by media and the process of comparing oneself to another of unrealistic standards. You can follow the artist on Tumblr or on Twitter @versiaharris

Versia also provided an animation workshop to the students at the IBB. Students were asked to work in groups of two to create their own character and make a short hand-drawn animation. Using Photoshop as a manipulation tool, students made short animations ranging from feel-good themes all the way to more dramatic subjects. The final results will also be presented during the night of Versia’s exhibition.

We invite you to come and meet artist Versia Harris, experience her work and be transported to her amazing world of manipulated pen-drawn animations.

Date: Friday, October 25th 2013
Time: starts at 7p.m. sharp
Place: Instituto Buena Bista

For more information on the exhibition or the IBB please visit our website or call us weekdays at +5999 736 3605 and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.