Author Description

Major monograph accompanying the first UK exhibition of the Bahamian contemporary artist Tavares Strachan (b. 1979), one of the most urgently compelling, innovative and accomplished artists of his generation. 'Strachan's work is filled with astonishments and surprise.' - The best art and architecture shows to visit in 2024, The Guardian This major monograph will focus on the highly inventive ways in which the Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan (b. 1979) has engaged with questions of cultural visibility and social inequity, through painting, sculpture and installation. A new interview with Ralph Rugoff and essays by Ekow Eshun and Maggie Cao will examine three key areas of Tavares' work, each of which turns upside down conventional models of knowledge and education: 'Exploration' deals with the artist's own role as an explorer as well as works that pay homage to pioneers who navigated unknown ideas and uncharted territories. 'Invisibilty' is centred on Strachan's The Encyclopedia of Invisibility - an ongoing, 3,000-page publication and related sculptures and paintings that spotlight figures forgotten by history. 'Remapping' presents recent works that imaginatively remap the lost cultural connections between African diaspora people and traditional African societies. Designed in close collaboration with the artist, the book also includes an Index of Characters, Chronology and Exhibition History.