Guyana-American artist, Carl E. Hazelwood is among five artists, whose works of art are on display at the Triangle Artist Studios residency program, which opened on June 7, at picturesque, Governors Island, New York Harbor.
The Triangle Arts exhibition is open on public days for art lovers to get an inside look at what artists are working on: Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am – 5 pm, June – October 2019.
A veteran painter, sculptor, curator, and co-founder of the 30-year-old Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, in Newark, New Jersey, Hazelwood tells Caribbean Life, that he decided to go back to creating art, after a long curatorial stint, and becoming what he wanted to be. He applied to residence programs, where he could relax, and create in peace, while being taken care of.
He joined Triangle Artist Studios, first at the Dumbo Studios in Brooklyn in 2012, where he worked intensively for two weeks.
“It was a great experience. I love the people because they gave you a chance to deepen the work you do and give you space to do it.”
After a few more residences, he returned to Triangle, this time in Upstate New York and now, at House 7B in Nolan Park, on Governors Island, where he will be for the next five months.
“This initiative connects us to an incredible range of arts and science organizations, and brings us into conversation with many more New Yorkers across the city. It is exclusively offered to alumni of Triangle, deepening our long-term commitment to other artists,” he said.
The Georgetown-born Hazelwood began painting at a tender age, after being home-schooled by his mother, who is also a teacher and who inspired him to read and write, without reservation. “She said ‘when I come home I want to see a bit of writing and some sort of creative work.’”
“My mother introduced me to Shakespeare which I quickly grasp, not knowing this type of writing was above my age-grade. I became quite educated from reading.”
He became enthralled not only with the writings, but also the illustrations, in books such as “Treasure Island,” and other British classics, where the images inspired him to create. He read about people who replicated techniques used by impressionists, all on his own because back then, there were no museums in Guyana.
His teacher, one of his inspirations at the Burrows School of Art in Guyana, allowed Hazelwood to copy the work of other artists, an action that did not sit very well with him as one with a creative mind. “I didn’t understand at the time, that he was keeping me busy, while he did something else,” he chuckled.
The immensely talented and skilled artist, a graduate of Pratt Institute, and Hunter College, is a born artist, a genius of sorts, whose mind was skillfully trained to create. He continues to stun the art world with his brilliance and captivating creativity, that makes him one of the most sought after artists.
The award-winning virtuoso attracted a cult following on Facebook, after he decided to do something different with his intrinsic talent. He used high quality paper to create a wall sculpture; not knowing this would blossom into a collage on a very large scale. These are additions to his mixed media works that include ink, pastel, pencil, and rich drawings, that have become a collection, titled “White Snake Series.”
Hazelwood, in the summer of 2018, was awarded the Ground Fellowship from the Dora Maar House community. He spent weeks, working in the bedroom studio of the late Dora Maar, a French genius impressionist, and partner Pablo Picasso.
Hazelwood was the only artist among, writers, scientists, and novelists, selected from hundreds of creative minds from around the world, to take part in the residence series.
His work was highly regarded in the space he was honored to be a part of, an incredible, unforgettable experience for the artist.
His honors includes fellowships at the Bogliasco Foundation Study Center, Bogliasco, Italy, Fall 2018, residence programs from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Headlands Center for the Arts, Yaddo, Vermont Studio Center, and the MacDowell Colony, among others.
A Tree of Life, Foundation award grantee, his 52-painting installation, “Traveler,” was commissioned for the knockdown Center, Maspeth, Queens, in 2017.
Hazelwood’s work, has been seen in the PRIZM, Voita, and Scope Art Fairs. BOMB Magazine the NY Times, are among publications that have featured the artist.
The Brooklyn-based artist is showcasing his works of art, simultaneously, at Governors Island and Mamsa Newman Projects, 38W 32 Street, Suite 1602.
For more information, visit www.trian
