Exhibitions

PETIT CARÊME: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD THROUGH THE LENS OF LEXANDER BRYANT

Begonia Labs (Vanderbilt University) / 2805 West End Ave. April 4 - May 23rd

LeXander Bryant

LeXander Bryant (b. 1989) is a photographer and visual artist based in Nashville, Tennessee, focused on capturing the essence of Black Folks, particularly in the American South. His work centers around the documentation & design of the black experience through stories of triumph, resilience, and cultural identity. LeXander has been featured in both group and solo exhibitions since 2016 and continues to collaborate with other creatives locally and internationally.

In September 2023, LeXander received support from the Engine of Art Democracy and Justice to travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad. He worked with artist Christopher Cozier on the Home Portal project and visited the Alice Yard contemporary art network. In his new exhibition, Petit Carême, LeXander shares his experience of traveling to Trinidad, which was the first place he has traveled outside of the United States. The exhibition will be at Begonia Labs (2805 West End Ave) from April 4th- May 23nd.

While in Trinidad, LeXander reflected on the similarities and the differences between Black culture and aesthetics happening in the lower Caribbean region and in the American South. His exhibition at Begonia Labs will include photographs and videos that are organized into several subsections reviewing topics like the marketplace, community gatherings, and tropical scenery. Such topics have been documented and presented from the Caribbean region for decades following the influx of the tourist industry; however, LeXander places an interesting outlook on these topics through his personal viewpoint as a Black Southern photographer.

The title of the exhibition, Petit Carême, refers to a climate phenomenon that happens in Trinidad during the rainy season, around mid September to mid October; the climate phenomenon is a moment in the year with unusually brilliant sunshine that follows the regular rainfall. LeXander chose to adopt this term for the title of his showcase because it aligned with the time of year when his research trip took place, and it also poetically nods to a mini-break from the normal rhythms of his creative practice happening in Nashville.

Begonia Labs will have regular visitor hours during the run of the Petit Carême exhibition from 1-5pm, Monday-Friday. If you wish to schedule a tour of the exhibition or a visit outside of the regularly scheduled hours, please email Simon Tatum, EADJ’s Project Coordinator: (simon.tatum@vanderbilt.edu).