Lace Braxton GarneauEdmonton, AB Size 36" x 24" Medium asphalt and acrylic on raw canvas with raffia This work is rooted in costuming, transformation, and material honesty. I combine visual influences from classical European portraiture and Afro-Caribbean culture with harvested and hand-processed materials that explore the complex sociocultural history of my Caribbean heritage. My portraits are built up using asphalt, a natural emulsion of mineral elements, and bitumen. This has personal significance, as it traces the journey of my grandparents from Trinidad, which holds the world’s largest naturally exposed deposit of asphalt, Pitch Lake, to the oil sands in Northern Alberta, where my grandfather came to work in the 1960s, when the ban on black immigration was lifted. Lace Braxton GarneauEdmonton, AB About the artist About the artist Braxton GarneauEdmonton, AB Braxton Garneau’s work is based on collecting and researching materials, culture, and history. Focusing on harvested and hand-processed materials, he explores the sociocultural history of his Caribbean heritage. He holds a BFA from the University of Alberta and has had solo exhibitions at GAVLAK, Los Angeles; Stride Gallery, Calgary; and Parallel Space, Edmonton. His work was featured in the retrospective exhibition “Black Every Day” at the Art Gallery of Alberta, “It’s About Time: Dancing Black in Canada 1900 – 1970 and Now,” at Mitchell Art Gallery, and “New Direction,” curated by AJ Girard and Artx at Château Cîroc, Miami. Follow on social