My practice concentrates on illustration where my drawings are rendered in pen and ink. I like to perceive my current series of work as an emotive response to personal experiences, ideas and analogies within my life.

Before coming to this series I had a lot of challenges. I am still facing challenges up to this point, but they seem a bit more manageable than before. I had previously worked with a lot of concepts based on things I encountered to which I was attracted. Even though I was working with certain themes I liked, I still found myself becoming ultimately bored and soon enough, everything ceased. The work never seemed interesting enough and I felt I needed to become more connected with it. I realized that the problem was that those previous pieces were done by me but they were not of me.

My goal with a newer series of illustrations was to be more honest than I was in my previous series. I wanted to connect to my work as an artist. I tend to gravitate toward ideas about science, the universe, dreams, the mind, experiences and likeness. I want to explore these ideas from my perspective and personal connection to them.  I want to create my alternate reality: hybrids within my own universe.

My use of detail is based on my belief that I have some type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder  (OCD). My thoughts consume me and I also write a lot, but repetitively. I am very particular in my ways and at times can be a bit of a perfectionist. I illustrate this way in my work because even though it can be time consuming, it is a stress reliever. It puts me in a trance-like state where the concept of time eludes me. It also distracts me from my racing thoughts.

I connect or merge images and patterns together in these illustrations because it is a manifestation of the way thoughts are processed in my brain- very random, scattered, juxtaposed but all interlinked. My perspective on myself is that I am broken; so when I put these images or patterns together, it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself together.

I believe that an artist’s work should be a mirror for that artist; every time they see their work, they see themselves.  Art should be honest; it should be a reflection of its creator. I want that. I see it as a process of self-discovery, so I want my identity to be reinforced and translated in my work. It does not take much to inspire me; I just need to experience something, whether negatively or positively.

Personally, most of the time, the experience is solely about the feeling. If my feelings are intense toward a specific topic, evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce. Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity.

In this residency with Caribbean Linked in Aruba, I saw this experience as another chapter of my journey of self-discovery. I was very excited to be separated from the monotony of Barbados and experience the landscape of Aruba. I also looked forward to connecting with the other artists within the space whether it be spiritually or mentally; I was excited to work with them and share ideas.

The first week was very hard for me. I found myself being very overwhelmed and more insecure. I felt as though I was not connecting very well with most of the artists. I also had difficulties being inspired and adjusting to the space. I was overthinking everything. After writing out my thoughts and talking to the people I felt closer to, I became more comfortable and started to feel less tense.

After seeing most of the presentations so far from the artists, I felt very inspired and more connected to them, understanding  each artist and their journey. I love the conversations we share as artists, whether it be political, art related or just random and fun.  Exploring the Aruban landscape in depth was even more inspiring. We visited the natural wonders of Aruba. I find the landscapes so beautiful and bizarre that they appear more like dreamscapes.

I am feeling very grateful to be a part of this experience. I have learnt some more things about myself that will help me grow and develop as an artist and a person.

About Simone:

Simone Asia is an illustrator who was born in May, 1990 in Bridgetown, Barbados. From 2006-2011, Padmore attended the Barbados Community College (BCC) where she received her Associate’s Degree in Visual Arts and her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Attending BCC allowed her to develop a stronger sensibility for drawing and a love for pen and ink also known as Simone Asia, is an illustrator who was born in May, 1990 in Bridgetown, Barbados. From 2006-2011, Padmore attended the Barbados Community College (BCC) where she received her Associate’s Degree in Visual Arts and her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Attending BCC allowed her to develop a stronger sensibility for drawing and a love for pen and ink.