Vida Mitchell

B. - Trinidad

Vida Mitchell is a Trinidadian artist whose work explores the relationship between
memory, place, and the romanticization of everyday life. Drawing inspiration from the
people, landscapes, and experiences that shape her environment, she creates vibrant
paintings that transform familiar moments into reflections on connection, nostalgia,
and imagination.


Working primarily from observation and personal experience, Mitchell is interested in
how we remember our lives, not as exact records, but as emotional impressions coloured
by time, feeling, and perspective. Her expressive use of colour allows her to move
beyond documentation, creating works that capture the atmosphere and emotional
character of a scene rather than its literal appearance.

Growing up in Trinidad, Mitchell's practice is deeply informed by Caribbean culture and
the ordinary moments that often go unnoticed. Through her work, she seeks to celebrate
the richness of everyday experience while encouraging viewers to find meaning within
their own surroundings

 

Artist statement

My work is inspired by the people, places, and memories that shape everyday life. I am
interested in the moments we often overlook the experiences that seem ordinary while
we are living them but become meaningful with time and reflection.
“The Seed of Imagination”began with a childhood memory of collecting seeds from the
palm trees outside my home. My brother and I would compete to see who could throw
them the farthest. One day, without realizing it, we stopped. Years later, I looked at
those same trees and saw how much they had grown, and how much I had changed
alongside them.


The painting depicts my nephew standing beneath a royal palm tree, looking upward.
Through him, I revisit questions about possibility, growth, and the ways our
surroundings shape our understanding of what is within reach as Caribbean people.
By drawing from a familiar landscape and a personal memory, I hope to create space for
viewers to reflect on their own experiences of growing up, looking back, and imagining
what might still be possible.