Jayde Gibbons - ‘WILDFLOWERS’ Exhibition

Artist statement:
Wildflowers, an ongoing series, is a visual ode to the Afro Bermudian Woman. The series serves as a reminder for us all to respect the creator of all life on this planet, the divine female. For us to be proud of who we were, who we are, and who we are destined to be as women by celebrating and giving ourselves grace on this shared and complex yet rarely discussed journey of self discovery, self love and sisterhood. Wildflowers serve as a visual representation of the natural beauty, resilience and power we possess as afro Bermudians on this island and invites the viewer to explore what can be done with that when given the opportunity to exist without interference and restraint.
I've always admired Bermuda's natural wildflowers; the morning glories, the yellow Bermuda buttercups, Nasturtiums, daisies, etc, flowers that are an undeniably beautiful symbol of our landscape. Majority of these beloved flowers grow from weeds, weeds which are treated as ugly invasive pests to be removed and destroyed before given the chance to grow or 'take over'. I feel this can be used as an analogy to describe the experiences of many women and the resilience we are forced to show on a constant basis. More times than not, when we allow things and people to just be without restraint or perceived fear, the outcome of that mere existence is a beautiful and beneficial thing.

In this series, the artist explores her creativity and steps outside of her familiar realm of candid/lifestyle photography by curating creative visuals using props and Bermudas natural landscape. I hope to immerse the viewer into my world of Wildflowers by activating the senses of sight, vision and scent by utilizing photography, music, audio, natural flora, and props to transform the space provided

Artist Bio: Jayde Gibbons
"The power of visual storytelling and its role in society is often underestimated. When we don't see accurate imagery of our everyday existence, it's easy to feel isolated, undervalued and unimportant". Jayde Gibbons, a visual artist born and raised in working class Bermuda, showed artistic talents from a very young age. The artist says she is grateful for the artists in her family who recognized her creativity and encouraged her because so many other young artists with the same upbringing were taught that a creative career is unrealistic. The artist who dabbles in multiple artistic mediums, says her interest in photography started in elementary school as she remembers asking for a camera for Christmas. She has worked as a professional photographer
since 2018 and has won numerous awards and accolades, having her photography recognized locally and overseas. Jayde takes pride in knowing she followed her dream of becoming an artist, and has dedicated her photography practice to highlighting the beauty in parts of Bermuda that are familiar to her that are often overlooked, in hopes to instill a sense of pride to the people of her community.