Eddy Firmin's Ceramic Sculptures Confront Colonialism at Toronto's Gardiner Museum

Eddy Firmin, an artist from Guadeloupe now residing in Montréal, will showcase his work in "After the Island: Caribbean Canadian Ceramics" at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, beginning October 9. His creations delve into themes of colonization, identity, and inherited knowledge, with references to slavery. Among his ceramic sculptures are self-portrait busts of Black men that feature corporate branding. Key works include "Sans Signe" ("Without Sign") and the 2024 editions "Symbol: Ego, Origin" and "Symbol: Ego, Strange/Danger." His series "Punching Bags" (2021-2023) and "Se faire maître" (2022) highlight porcelain tools. In collaboration with Géraldine Entiope, "Pa ka tann ?!" (2023) presents a DJ booth on a small vehicle. Firmin critiques the effects of consumerism on local traditions and independence. The transatlantic slave trade impacted over 20 million individuals. Photos by Michael Patten, courtesy of the Gardiner Museum.