Justin Augustine: Within Boundaries

Artist's Statement: My paintings depict images of young black persons transfixed in an otherworldly space. The figures occupy the foreground against what, at first glance, appears to be an ambiguous background. However, they are not realistic portraits of actual individuals. Rather, they are composites, placed in scenes which frame and dominate my childhood memories of my homeland, the Caribbean island of Dominica. By placing the figures against warm, lightly coloured and sharply contrasted architecture, further memories of a tropical climate are invoked. 

The stoic and intentional gestures of the figures entice viewers to form their own conclusions as to the significance of the painting. There is an added invitation for the viewer to take the place of the figures and undergo their experiences. Some of these paintings are, in fact, documentations of emotional connections to places I have visited, which have had a significant influence on how I perceive myself. Other paintings in this series are explorations of my own identity as a black person. As a parallel comparison with my homeland and as representation of my immigration to Canada at an early age, some of the paintings include familiar locations in Nova Scotia, such as Preston, Seaview Park (once the site of Africville) and Gottingen Street in the North End of Halifax.