Kearra Amaya Gopee

ANTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST  |  TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO & USA

Kearra Amaya Gopee (they/them/theirs) is an anti-disciplinary visual artist from Carapichaima, Kairi (the larger of the twin island nation known as Trinidad and Tobago), living and working on Tongva land (Los Angeles, CA). Explore Kearra’s website and follow them on Instagram to learn more about their work, and read a brief interview with Kearra below.

Kearra Amaya Gopee
Art made in collaboration with the artist’s community can be impactful. It is also important to note, however, that beauty is often not enough. When we ask ourselves, ‘What does my community need to be successful in their campaigns?’ we are able to create work that is beautiful, well-informed, and responsive.

How would you describe your artistic practice amplifying social movements in your communities and/or those your work is concerned with?
Kearra Amaya Gopee: It is not so much that my practice amplifies social movements, but more that it works in conversation with them. My work attempts to consider the myriad qualities of violence present in Black, queer and/or Caribbean communities as an observer/participant. Through this act, I reflect, celebrate, and posit us with new questions that might encourage healing and/or dissent.

What do you hope to achieve through this award?
Reduce my debt. Maintaining an artist’s studio can be expensive, and often times, it requires additional funding to make ends meet. Unrestricted awards such as this one can be quite beneficial then, as it requires an organization to understand that art is not made in a vacuum, and that sometimes the most helpful thing one can do for an artist is not only tending to the creation of their work but also their material needs.

Kearra Amaya Gopee is the recipient of the 2021 Denise Allen Emerging Artist Award for Global Fund for Women’s Artist Changemaker program. The Denise Allen Emerging Artist Award is given to one Artist Changemaker annually in memory of long-time Global Fund for Women and International Museum of Women supporter Denise Allen, in honor of her passion for the arts and social justice.