Yamidé
states, “I’m intrigued by raw nature but plagued by the need to
refine it.” This statement rings true to her vision when viewing
her hand-made furniture items which are indeed, exquisite pieces
of art in themselves. The natural variations of colour and shape
of each piece adds to its unique quality.
Each item is truly one of a kind.
All her life, Yamidé has been refining and redefining herself
from journalism, to fashion design, to the music industry.
But only one definition fits:
artisan.
Born on November 26 1965 in
Kingston,
Jamaica, Yamidé moved to Los Angeles,
California
at the age of 16.
She studied journalism at
Santa Monica College
but soon moved to New
York
and acquired a taste for the crude texture of urban life.
In 1988 she moved to Trinidad
where her desire to create was awakened and a restless endeavour
to reshape her true creative self began.
After forming the
Elizabeth Marsh
line of clothing for girls,
her full artistic expression was yet to be discovered.
Later on, a brief European tour with a music group,
albeit educational, proved to be unfulfilling.
In 1994 Yamidé moved to Tobago
and, as she began to acquire a taste for the eclectic
juxtaposition of the savage elegance of the island’s landscape,
a familiar hunger to create began to grow.
As creative juices began to flow an interest in the
natural form and shape of wood was aroused in her and she felt
compelled to maintain its innate beauty but at the same time
refine it.
She returned to California (San
Diego) to complete an apprenticeship at a
glass studio and began experimenting with steel and glass.
A dilemma, which would soon prove to be her creative
impetus, began to manifest itself in her work.
Rustic charm and whimsy versus high definition and
practicality. Why
not both?
Her artistic mission was, and still is, to use steel and glass
to compliment and refine wood without compromising its natural
shape and form. For
Yamidé, every piece of lumber she comes across has got the
diamond-in-the-rough potential to become a masterpiece and her
creative impulse finally has a structured outlet in furniture
design and usable art.
Yamidé currently lives in the
northern countryside of Tobago
and works out of her multi-faceted atelier alongside her husband
Pepe and son Yanik. She
draws inspiration from travel and the colourful blend of
contrasts that make up the mosaic of her life. |
