The Art and Musings of Tamara Natalie Madden

10 years ago I participated in my very first art exhibition. From the very beginning, my work was about giving a voice to those who are overlooked. Many of my paintings were classified as ‘folk art’, but I wanted the work, and the people who were being painted, to be viewed as royals. The emergence of the new series gave voice to these individuals in a distinctive manner, heightening them through fantastical headdresses and uniquely collaged garb.

Full Circle is essentially a fusion of the two styles. It is a my way of delving into my beginnings as an artist to bring light to the things that inspire my art the most—the people, and their experiences. It serves as a way for me to evoke memories of my childhood in Jamaica, while highlighting the very people who inspired me to become the artist that I am. Some paintings focus on strictly conceptual ideas of seeing everyday items as symbols of royalty, while others deal with the mystique of memory.  Each painting is my unique perspective about a thing, a moment, or an experience that I have experienced in reality or in theory.

The pieces are created using a variety of material. Some more traditional materials include canvases, while others include found objects, again fusing elements of folk art with more traditional elements of fine art.

                                                                                                             - Tamara Natalie Madden