FRESH MILK is very pleased to announce Barbadian artist Cherise Ward as the winner of the Fresh Milk ‘My Time’ Local Residency prize for 2014. Congratulations Cherise!

Cherise’s one-month residency will begin on Monday April 14, 2014, and she will use her time to explore new ideas and directions in her practice, with an aim of producing a small book project and expanding on aspects of this book in various forms of sculpture, specifically puppetry, and designer toys.

About Cherise Ward:

Cherise Ward is an Illustrator living in Barbados. After completing her Associate Degree in Visual Arts at the Barbados Community College, Cherise received her BFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Cherise’s work has been shown in exhibitions in America; including New York City, California, and Chicago, as well as in Barbados. Her illustrations have been published on the covers of graphic novels and the pages of children’s books. Cherise’s work is often inspired by nature and her love of fantasy and storytelling.

Artist Statement:

As an Illustrator, my work is often based on my interest in storytelling. This then takes many forms, from single narrative illustrations, to sequential (picture books or graphic novels), to sculpture. Whatever form it takes, at the core, my work is greatly inspired by an interest in telling stories, which has been my passion since childhood.

In my most recent body of personal work, my intent was to create narrative illustrations of original fairy tales, based on the flora and fauna of the Caribbean; that had the feel of the classic fairy tales I enjoy. Each illustration tells a story, but also invites the viewer to imagine a story of their own.

I build puppets, from sketching the character on paper, to sculpting, and putting together the parts so they can function. So along with illustration, I also use sculpture to bring my stories to life.