Collection: Immanuel Stephen

B. 2004 - Trinidad & Tobago

Immanuel Stephen is a Trinidadian artist based in Port of Spain. His work 
draws heavily from characteristics of the urban landscapes that he grew up in and 
around such as, St. Clair, Belmont and St. James. By capturing aspects of Port of 
Spain’s residential and commercial buildings within his work, he attempts to describe 
how these structures have shaped his experiences in, and perceptions of his 
surroundings, and by extension his perception of self. His primary medium is acrylic 
paint, with his approach to painting being influenced by the abstract expressionists, as 
he incorporates industrial painting material like emulsion and concrete primer into his 
work, experimenting with color, texture, and opacity. Immanuel completed the BA 
Visual Arts program at the University of the West Indies’ St. Augustine campus in 2026 
and has exhibited locally at The Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Mille Fleurs, and 
The Central Bank Museum.

Artist Statement
My practice uses painting to navigate my relationship with the material world. My work manipulates views of Port of Spain's suburbs. In composing an image, I emphasize the characteristics of these spaces that stand out to me. Features of nearby commercial and residential buildings are recurring motifs in the work. I am interested in how the traits of a structure can be used to tell a story. Vernacular architecture, faded paint, or markings on exterior walls or fencing each illustrate the passage of time. These traits simultaneously describe the histories that shape a space and inform future engagements with said space. By emphasizing them within my work, I intend to communicate how surfaces both in and outside the gallery carry with them their own histories and narratives, and 
how these stories have shaped my reality.