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Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the creative landscape. Images can now be generated in seconds, styles imitated with striking accuracy, and visual concepts produced at a speed that would have once seemed impossible. For artists around the world, this has sparked both curiosity and concern: is AI simply another tool, or does it represent a deeper shift in how creative work will be valued? For Caribbean artists, this conversation carries particular weight because ar

As March unfolds, artists across the Caribbean and beyond have access to a new wave of opportunities to develop their practice, access funding, build international networks and explore new creative directions. The Caribalent  Opportunities Hub features a regularly updated selection of residencies, grants, fellowships and open calls designed to support artists at different stages of their careers. Below is a curated list of opportunities currently open to Caribbean and intern

In the Caribbean, creatives are celebrated. Their work is shared, reposted and admired on social media. Galleries display their pieces. Festivals showcase their talent. Yet when it comes to proper payment, the response is often hesitation, negotiation or requests to work for exposure. Art is labour. It is research. It is skill. It is cultural preservation. And it is economic contribution. Caribbean creatives, painters, sculptors, designers, writers, photographers, filmmakers

At the entrance of the University of Puerto Rico, Carolina Campus, a jaguar rises in form and strength. It does not merely decorate the space. It claims it. The sculpture, titled El Jaguar , signals arrival, identity and power. It is here, in the language of monument and material, that Marcos Daniel Vicéns has found his voice. Working from his studio in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, Vicéns has established himself as one of the island’s compelling contemporary sculptors, bridging in

Ernesto Estévez García did not arrive at hyperrealism through theory. He arrived there through memory. His first encounter with painting was not in an academy but at home, watching his mother paint simply because she loved it. There was no grand ambition attached to it. Just colour, time and quiet devotion. That intimacy shaped him long before he chose landscape as his language. As a young man, Ernesto spent hours exploring caves and remote corners of Cuba’s terrain. These we

February often reduces love to romance. Flowers, dinners and fleeting gestures framed by Valentine’s Day dominate the narrative. Caribbean art tells a different story. Here, love is quieter, heavier and deeply communal. It appears not only between lovers, but between generations, neighbours, ancestors and land. Across the Caribbean, artists speak love fluently, but in languages shaped by survival, care, resistance and memory. To understand Caribbean love, we must look beyond

What would happen if artists were not constantly preoccupied with survival. If creativity was not something squeezed into evenings, weekends, or moments of exhaustion, but treated as real work that deserved stability. This question is no longer hypothetical. In Ireland, it has been tested, measured, and proven. In 2022, the Irish government launched the Basic Income for the Arts , a national pilot programme that provided artists, musicians, and creative workers with a guarant

How do we grow when life constantly shifts beneath our feet? When movement and stillness intertwine, where do we find balance? These questions lie at the heart of Guyanese artist Dominique Hunter’s ongoing Cusp series, a striking exploration of transformation, presence, and resilience. Through her use of the human form, nature, and symbolism, Hunter captures the tension of what she calls mini migrations, the repeated uprootings and resettlings that shape both personal and cre

February is packed with opportunities for Caribbean artists seeking residencies,  funding and international exposure. Here’s a roundup of residencies, grants and open calls with approaching deadlines. Residencies and Internships Sloss Metal Furnaces Emerging Artist Residency + Internship (International) A three-week residency in Birmingham, Alabama, providing studio access, materials, sand, iron, and technical foundry skills for emerging artists. Includes a living stipend. D

Naderson Saint-Pierre paints faces that resist a single point of view. Eyes overlap, profiles shift, colours collide. His portraits insist on multiplicity, suggesting that identity is never singular, never fixed, and never fully revealed in one moment. Working primarily in portraiture, Saint-Pierre uses fragmentation as both a visual strategy and a conceptual position. His subjects appear assembled rather than rendered, as though identity itself is shaped through memory, move

Carnival is often reduced to costumes, colour and spectacle. For Weldon Ryan , it is lived culture, movement, presence and community rendered on canvas. Born in Trinidad and Tobago , Ryan translates the energy of Caribbean Carnival into large-scale paintings that capture both the pageantry and the people behind it. Ryan photographs masqueraders at carnivals across the Caribbean diaspora and uses these encounters as reference for his paintings. His compositions are tight, imme

In cities from San Juan to Barcelona, Puerto Rican artist Ekosaurio transforms walls into vibrant ecosystems. His murals pulse with plant life and bold colour bringing the energy of Caribbean landscapes into urban spaces across the globe. Rather than depicting nature as scenery, Ekosaurio treats it as a living language. His work does not aim for realism, instead, it relates the energy of Caribbean landscapes, their beauty, vibrancy and growth, into compositions that feel play

The future of Caribbean art is shaped less by what is celebrated in the moment and more by the questions we choose to ask today. These are questions about labour, access, visibility, sustainability and trust. They are often left unspoken, yet they will determine the ecosystem for years to come. Who is included and who is left out? Caribbean art is sometimes presented as a single story, yet the region is made up of multiple histories, languages and experiences. Which artists a

David creates artworks that explore internet culture, irony, and everyday life. Sometimes, all at once. Working primarily through digital processes, his practice combines humor, observation, and familiar cultural references to evoke moments of joy, even in the unexpected. David Sykes was born in Kingston, Jamaica, "in the 19th century," as he jokingly says. From a young age, he was drawn to art, inspired not by museums or galleries, but by the imagination of his cousin, Camek

Where the work is made matters.  For Guadeloupean-born artist Kelly Sinnapah Mary, the environment of her studio is inseparable from her practice. “If my studio were elsewhere, my practice would be very different. When I walk into my studio, I hear the crowing of roosters. I feel the sun. I hear my son playing with his cousins.” Her work is rooted in Guadeloupe, shaped by place, daily life and lineage , and engages with a continuous unlearning of colonial worldviews. Through

As the new year begins, Caribbean artists and creatives have urgent opportunities  to expand their practice, connect with international networks, access funding, and deepen their craft. Below is a curated guide to open calls, residencies, grants, and creative support programmes, some of which are closing soon in January 2026, from both regional and global institutions. Exhibitions  – Show Your Work Royal Society of British Artists | Annual Exhibition 2026 Deadline:  January 9

As the Caribbean steps into 2026, artists, creatives, and cultural practitioners have new opportunities to deepen their practice, connect with global networks, and showcase the region’s rich artistic voices. The start of a new year is always a moment for reflection, gratitude, and intention, qualities that resonate strongly within the Caribbean art community. Over the past year, Caribbean artists have continued to navigate challenges, explore interdisciplinary approaches, and

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back at what the Caribbean art world gave us. There was no single defining moment or clear turning point. What the year did give us was movement, activity, connection and continuation. The work kept happening, even when attention and support shifted elsewhere. This movement showed up in exhibitions, online spaces, residencies, regional events and collaborations across countries and territories. Artists continued to work with purpose, often wi

Guyanese-born Ingrid Pollard is a pioneering photographer and media artist whose work has long challenged cultural assumptions about race, identity, and belonging. Born in 1953 in Georgetown, Guyana, and raised in London, Pollard has consistently questioned who is permitted to feel at home within British landscapes, particularly its rural spaces. Her practice centres on visibility, memory, and the quiet politics of place. As a founding member of the Association of Black Photo

Buying art matters. It sustains artists directly, affirms the value of their labour and allows many to continue their practice. For those who are able to buy, it remains one of the most meaningful forms of support. However, not everyone has the financial means to collect art. Limiting support to purchasing alone risks excluding large parts of the community and narrowing how we understand care for culture. Caribalent exists because we believe Caribbean culture is not a commodi