Plantain Belt
In the Breaking the Mold exhibition, Downtown Legacy Art Gallery, Victoria, BC
April - June, 2022
Natasha S. Reid, 2022.
Blue skies. A yellow kitchen. Milk kept outside of the fridge. Sizzling plantains. A delicious smell.
I recall cooking plantains with my grandmother in Trinidad as a toddler. In repeatedly casting a plantain, I deepened my connection with my grandmother and my Jamaican heritage.
The title of this work (Plantain Belt) is a nod to the concept of the banana belt, which is a warm geographic area situated in a region that is typically known for its colder climate. Victoria, BC, where I recently moved to, is one such area. When I visited my grandmother in Trinidad at 3 years of age, I experienced being in an unusually warm place, as we flew from Toronto to Trinidad in December. In this artwork, I am exploring feeling simultaneously out of place and in the right place.
By casting seven plantains, I played with the scientific myth that our cells regenerate every seven years. The day after the exhibition opening, I turned 42, entering into the seventh so-called cycle. Crafting these sculptures while reflecting on this moment with my grandmother was meant to symbolically engrain this memory into my cells at this important, although fictitious, turning point.
This project explores mixed-race identity, Caribbean diasporic realities, and how art can activate and communicate life stories. Identity and life-story work are similarly woven into my teaching and research practices.
This work was exhibited at UVic's Legacy Art Gallery, as part of the Breaking the Mold exhibition (April 16 - June 18, 2022). During the exhibition, visitors were invited to donate to the ISSAMBA Centre / African Art & Cultural Community Contributor Society for a chance to win a casted plantain sculpture.
ISSAMBA Centre is an arts and cultural organization that works to "advance awareness and understanding of the richness and diversity of African culture and traditions through the promotion of a broad range of cultural, educational, and artistic activities, events, and programs" (https://www.issambacentre.ca/about). During the pandemic, ISSAMBA Centre has been offering culturally appropriate food baskets to Black Canadians experiencing food insecurity. Plantains are one of the culturally appropriate foods often included. For more information, read this CBC article.
Natasha S. Reid, 2022. 
Natasha S. Reid, 2022. 
Natasha S. Reid, 2022. 
Natasha S. Reid, 2022. 
Natasha S. Reid, 2022. Photo credit: Chris Mockford