Dereck Paul
My Art
Dereck Paul
Artist Statement
“Art is not just expressing oneself but an experiment. Just how life is renewed over & over again in seasons or stages, this is a continual process.
It goes beyond formal training at any level of skill or having a gifting. It’s the merging of personal knowledge, passion and experiences, but not a limitation to these elements alone. I craft, I compose just like our Creator, God; made in his image, I imitate him. I believe that there is nothing new under this physical stratosphere, but taking tools, ideas and elements that already exist and using them to form a personal language, a dialect so to speak. My pieces, whether finished or a continuation of some sort, reflects my personal environment.
This environment, being a Bahamian involves the mixture of both African & European influences playing out in my sub conscious. I am drawing from the artists of the past especially of the Baroque movement and merging ideas in the spirit of our cultural festival Junkanoo. With mask like forms, masquerading in the bed of night and decadent colors of bright hues and pigmentation, rhythm and movement, my creativity beats out; creating an elixir of feelings. Ultimately, these feelings I hope, produces light in someone’s dark situation, hope to a destitute mind. By experimenting with multiple media, scraping, scratching, collaging at times my experiences still dictate what is produced.
Yes, most of my works have been improvisational and impromptu in terms of materials and methodology. My concern, however now in this period in my life is combining this ‘freedom’ with a specific technique. A stage in this personal growing process, I hope to master, in the pursuit of becoming a ‘genuine, unadulterated’ artist. My art is life’s journey and what I create is a reflection of life, therefore, my art imitates my life.
Dereck Paul
Artist Bio
“Art is not just expressing oneself but an experiment…a continual process.” states Dereck Paul who was born in Nassau, on April 11, 1972. Dereck obtained his Bachelors and Masters Degrees at Governors State University in the south suburbs of Chicago in 1997 and 1999 respectively.
Paul has participated and exhibited in numerous exhibitions including a solo exhibition at Valparaiso University sponsored by the Brauer Museum of Art & Christ College, in Indiana, and various juried group shows throughout Illinois and Indiana including African- American Reflections, Tall Grass Art Gallery, Park Forest Illinois, Black Creativity, sponsored by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Ill and Home is where the Art is, Aldo Castillo International Gallery where his work was exhibited & auctioned with Ronnie Wood from the world renowned rock-in-roll band The Rollin Stone, just to name a few. This exhibition was highlighted and reported by NBC’s subsidiary in Chicago. Paul was also selected in the juried exhibition at The 2nd Annual Art Exhibition at The National Art Gallery in 2004, where his work was on display with the likes of Stan Burnside, Antonious Roberts, Tyrone Ferguson, to name a few. Also, in 2004, Dereck’s work was selected in the group show Lumen: A Winter Show of Small Works, in Chicago Illinois.
Additionally, many of Paul’s works are in private and public collections locally and internationally including Clifton Taulbert (writer and producer of the book and film “Once Upon a Time We were Colored”, Governor State University Art in Public Places, Vincent d’Aguilar and private residence
in Lyford Cay. Furthermore, legendary poet and Pulitzer Prize winner the late Gwendolyn Brooks unveiled Paul’s work entitled “Hope trough Youth” in 1996 where he was commissioned by the university for Black History Month.
“Most of my works have been improvisational and impromptu in terms of materials and methodology. my concern now in this season is combining this ‘freedom’ with a specific technique. A stage in this personal growing process, I hope to master, in the pursuit of becoming a genuine artist. My art is life’s journey and what I create is a reflection of life, therefore, my art imitates my life.”
Currently Dereck, lectures part time at The College of the Bahamas, and is the proprietor/ principal designer at P ‘N’ R Studios & Designs an architectural & an interior design company.
Dereck Paul
Awards
2000 Educational Grant, Ministry of Education
1999 Graduate Assistant Scholarship
1998 Alumni Scholarship
1997 Third Place Award, The Central Bank 13th Annual Art Exhibition & Competition
1996 First Place Award, The Central Bank 12th Annual Art Exhibition & Competition
1993 National Dean’s List & Honor Roll
1993 The Dean’s List, St Augustine’s College
1993 Third Place Award, St Augustine’s College Art Competition & Exhibition
1992 First Place, Logo Design Competition, Assemblies of God
Exhibitions
2004 Lumen, A Winter Show of Small Works, Duron Aguirre Gallery, Chicago IL
2004 National Exhibition 2004, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas
2004 Connections Exhibition, The College of The Bahamas, Nassau, The Bahamas
2000 Post Independence Artist 1973- 2000 Art Exhibition, Under the Patronage of the H.E. Hon Sir Orville Turnquest, Governor General
1999 Ceremonial Abundance, Graduate Exhibition, Governor State, University Art Gallery, University Park, IL.
1999 Governors State University Annual Student Art Show, Governor State Art Gallery, University Park, IL
1999 African American Reflections, Tall Grass Art Gallery, Park Forest, IL
1998 Expressions of a Bahamian Artist, Valparaiso University, IN (Sponsored by the Brauer Museum of Art & Christ College)
1998 Altars and Installations, Governors State University Art Gallery University Park, IL
1998 New York / Chicago Artist of the New Millennium Art Exhibition, Virtualartist.com, Internet.
1997 A Cultural Symbiosis: Senior Project, Governors State University Art Gallery, University Park, IL
1998 54th Annual Salon Show, Northern Indiana Art Association, Munster, IN
1997 Home Is Where the Art Is, Aldo Castillo Gallery, Chicago, IL
1997 The Central Bank 13th Annual Art Exhibition & Competition, Nassau, Bahamas
1997 Black Creativity, The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
1996 Annual Salon Show, Northern Indiana Art Association, Munster, Northern Indiana Art Association, Munster, IN
1996 The Central Bank 12th Annual Art Exhibition & Competition, Nassau, Bahamas