My creative practice is spiritual, joyful and intuitive. Drawing inspiration from the land, mythology, ritual and oral history traditions, I explore personal and collective stories and the implications of symbolic power. I have a deep love and respect for the earth and work towards a post-capitalist world in which sustainable care for our communities, rest and love are prioritized.
Photo by Luigi Creese
bio
Gesiye works with individuals and communities using performance, tattooing, installation and image-making to explore embodiment and storytelling as forms of liberation. Based between Trinidad & London, her creative practice is rooted in themes of connection and belonging, and examines the sociocultural symbols and power dynamics that impact our relationships with self, state and land.
Gesiye was raised in a Nigerian-Trinidadian family with a deep connection to divination and somatic healing practices. Her experiences as a Black, queer woman and her work in social and environmental activism inform her creative process. She has shown work and performed at a number of local and international spaces, including FiveMyles, The Barbican, Express Newark, the National Museum of Wales and the National Museum of Trinidad & Tobago.
recent work
Now That I’m a River, developed during my residency at Alice Yard, is currently showing in La Trenza-The Braid at White Box in NYC from October 4th to November 11th 2023. This interdisciplinary, performance work was shown at Y Art Gallery, T&T as part of the group show, Why Now? from February 27th to April 1st 2023.
The first activation of my tattoo-based work, I am You, was shared at Express Newark, NJ on June 10th 2023. This work was expanded upon during a guest residency at Egúngún Tatu in London from August to November 2023.
The Wound is a Portal is currently showing at the National Museum of Wales, UK from August 2022 to January 2025 and was shown at The Barbican, UK in May 2023.
preferred pronouns she/they