{"title":"Kesia Estwick","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0609\/4215\/5907\/files\/pict20140418_161316_0.jpg?v=1782394805\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"449\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eB. 1990 - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBarbados\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eKesia Makeba Estwick, also known by the artist pseudonym, King Kesia, is a Bajan\u003cbr\u003evisual artist and former fashion designer currently based in Bridgetown, Barbados.\u003cbr\u003eGrowing up in the countryside of Barbados, her early connection with art sparked a\u003cbr\u003elifelong passion for creativity. Exploring diverse disciplines from her pre-teen years\u003cbr\u003eonward, she has built a career that reflects both versatility and reinvention.\u003cbr\u003eHer artistic journey first gained international attention in fashion, with collections\u003cbr\u003eshowcased at global runways, gowns designed for top contestants of Britain’s Next\u003cbr\u003eTop Model and representing Barbados in the regional fashion reality show Mission\u003cbr\u003eCartwalk. Beyond fashion, Kesia expanded her practice into handmade home décor\u003cbr\u003eand large-scale murals, bringing her signature aesthetic to thriving businesses and\u003cbr\u003econtemporary homes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKing Kesia has received global acclaim for her artistry as a self-taught, yet brilliant\u003cbr\u003epainter. She debuted at the world-renowned San Francisco Art Fair in 2023, an\u003cbr\u003eastonishing feat for an emerging artist. Since then, King Kesia has exhibited in\u003cbr\u003eMustique Island SVG, Brooklyn, New York, Jersey City, New Jersey, Washington,\u003cbr\u003eD.C., and throughout Barbados. In 2025, she was nominated for the prestigious\u003cbr\u003eSakura Art Prize in Tokyo, Japan. That same year, she flew to Karachi at the\u003cbr\u003einvitation of the Pakistan Arts Council to exhibit her latest artworks and host\u003cbr\u003etraining workshops for emerging artists inspired by her work.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"frontline","title":"Frontline","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrontline\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eKesia Estwick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMedium: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAcrylic on canvas \u003cbr\u003eDimensions: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e48 x 48 inches\u003cbr\u003eYear: 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work serves as an ode to the women who transform carnival into one of the\u003cbr\u003eCaribbean’s most captivating visual spectacles. Adorned in meticulously\u003cbr\u003ehandcrafted costumes and embodying a commanding presence, they emerge as\u003cbr\u003esymbols of confidence, resilience, and self-expression. Regal and unapologetic, they\u003cbr\u003eoccupy the center of the festival’s narrative, celebrating the freedom, creativity, and\u003cbr\u003ejoy that carnival makes possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet these expressions of empowerment are often misunderstood by those outside\u003cbr\u003ethe culture, dismissed as excessive, provocative, or transgressive. This painting seeks\u003cbr\u003eto challenge such perceptions by presenting carnival masqueraders through a lens of\u003cbr\u003edignity, agency, and reverence. The dominant use of red evokes both the passion and\u003cbr\u003epride that underpin our carnival traditions, while also reflecting the energy and\u003cbr\u003evitality of the festival itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eParticular attention was given to the rendering of each gemstone and embellishment,\u003cbr\u003emirroring the dedication of the costume designers and artisans whose labour\u003cbr\u003esustains the culture year after year. Through this careful process, the work pays\u003cbr\u003etribute not only to the women who wear these creations, but also to the\u003cbr\u003ecraftsmanship, excellence, and cultural legacy that continue to define carnival\u003cbr\u003eacross the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Kesia Estwick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47356786573443,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"XCD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0609\/4215\/5907\/files\/KesiaEstwick_Frontline_2026.jpg?v=1782395032"},{"product_id":"center-stage","title":"Center Stage","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCenter Stage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eKesia Estwick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMedium: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAcrylic on canvas \u003cbr\u003eDimensions: 38 x 48 inches\u003cbr\u003eYear: 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis work centers on the Moko Jumbies, iconic stilt-walking figures whose towering\u003cbr\u003epresence has become an enduring symbol of Caribbean carnival culture. Rooted in\u003cbr\u003eWest African traditions and preserved through generations of cultural memory,\u003cbr\u003ethese figures embody the resilience, adaptation, and continuity of ancestral\u003cbr\u003eknowledge within the region.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough the construction of a whimsical dreamscape, I seek to celebrate and\u003cbr\u003ehonour their significance while exploring the interplay between history,\u003cbr\u003eimagination, and spectacle. Layers of vibrant colour and gestural brushwork create\u003cbr\u003ea sense of movement and vitality, inviting the viewer into a dynamic visual\u003cbr\u003eexperience. Exaggerated forms and shifting spatial relationships contribute to a\u003cbr\u003edreamlike atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between the real and the imagined.\u003cbr\u003eIn doing so, the work reimagines the Moko Jumbie not only as a cultural icon, but\u003cbr\u003ealso as a vessel for collective memory, joy, and transformation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Kesia Estwick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47357060055171,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"XCD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0609\/4215\/5907\/files\/KesiaEstwick_CenterStage_2025.jpg?v=1782397724"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0609\/4215\/5907\/collections\/pict20140418_161316_0.jpg?v=1782394905","url":"https:\/\/mustiqueart.com\/collections\/joaquin-lopez-de-la-ossa-copy.oembed","provider":"Mustiqe Caribbean Contemporary Art Show","version":"1.0","type":"link"}