Curtis Talwst Santiago: Infinity Series

Curtis Talwst Santiago’s ongoing Infinity Series (2008-present) consists of intricate dioramas within reclaimed jewelry boxes. Encased in structures that protect and transport precious objects through generations, Santiago creates environments that are intimate and performative. These mobile enclosures are a way to transport carefully constructed scenes that reference current events, pop culture, art history, politics and — embedded within all those realms — the personal. His interest in storytelling, which draws in particular narratives from African and Caribbean culture, comes alive in these works as he aims to animate and reinsert these histories into contemporary discourse. 

About the artist:

Curtis Talwst Santiago (b. 1979, Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian-Trinidadian artist who considers himself decentralized. His practice explores themes of transculturalism, memory and ancestry in the contemporary Diasporic experience. He lives and works between New York, USA; Munich, Germany; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Toronto, CA. He is a former apprentice of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and has exhibited internationally at venues such as: The Drawing Center, New York, NY; The New Museum, New York, NY; The Eli and Edythe Broad Museum at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; the Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan; The Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; and the SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; among others.

https://www.curtissantiago.art/
 

Image credit: Curtis Talwst Santiago. “What you doing? Just chilling with some friends” (2017). Mixed media diorama in Edwardian silver jewelry box (1906). 7.5 x 12 cm. Image courtesy of artist. 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, www.canadacouncil.ca.