L'Shaun Cato


B.  - Trinidad & Tobago

L'Shaun Cato is a Trinidadian visual artist working primarily in oils and acrylics. As a recent graduate of the University of the West Indies Visual Arts programme, her current practice is an ongoing investigation into the nuances of my cultural identity.
Her work seeks to subvert dominant stereotypes of Trinidadian identity by
focusing on more intimate domestic spaces as the true root of culture. By exploring
these private spheres, she aims to uncover the quiet, persistent rhythms of our shared
heritage.


During her time at UWI she was involved in various student shows, participated in
the painting of two murals at the Mt.Hope Children's Hospital and won first place at the
UNDP Caravan art categories in both the regional and national level.

Artist Statement

My current practice is an ongoing investigation of my cultural identity. Through
my work, I explore my disconnect with the stereotypical Trini identity and the impact of
representation on belonging. Dominant representation of Trinidad identity often
emphasizes Carnival, soca and heavy drinking as defining cultural monikers; individuals
who do not identify with these expressions may experience cultural displacement. My
work allows me to look beyond dominant expression and instead focus on more intimate
domestic spaces as the home for cultural identity. My experimentations with collective
memory and borrowed culture begin to resolve the tensions I’ve experienced between
the self and the collective.
Working primarily in oil and acrylic paint, I allow the needs of each piece and the
nature of the story being told to determine the medium selected. This flexibility allows
each work to develop its own visual language rather than conforming to one that is
predetermined.. Drawing inspiration from both classical and contemporary painters, I
seek a balance between realism and surrealism, combining careful observation with
imaginative interventions. By moving between the familiar and the imagined, my
paintings reflect the complexities of personal and cultural identity and reveal how
memory shapes our understanding of self, home, and belonging.