How to Imagine the Tropicalia as Monumental Series. La Vaughn Belle embarks on a journey to reimagine the Caribbean landscape in the aftermath of catastrophic histories. Drawing inspiration from the relentless forces of hurricanes, seas, and lands, Belle transcends the notion of destruction to embrace the regenerative potential of these natural phenomena. Through salvaged materials from her storm-ravaged studio, she weaves together torn fragments that evoke the resilience and tenacity of Caribbean inhabitants. This series serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the region, inviting viewers to contemplate new geographies.

Swarm Series. Belle’s compelling series, Swarm, delves into the archives of the Danish West Indies. In this series, La Vaughn alters photographs by making hundreds of cuts and burns, bending the time and space of staged images from the colonial era. Her interventions disrupt the conventional narratives of social status and wealth represented in the imagery.

La Vaughn Belle challenges viewers to confront the complexities of history, nature, and memory. Through a rigorous interrogation of the past and a visionary exploration of alternative futures, she extends a compelling invitation to engage with the current dynamics and processes of decolonization

LA VAUGHN BELLE holds an MFA from the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba, and both an MA and BA from Columbia University in New York. She has exhibited her work in various museums and institutions, including the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York; Clark Atlanta University Art Museum in Atlanta; the African American Museum in Philadelphia; Museo del Barrio in New York; Casa de las Americas in Havana; the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco; the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen; Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen; and the National Nordic Museum in Seattle, among others.

Her work is included in the collections of the National Photography Museum in Copenhagen; Vestsjælland Museum in Denmark; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt, Germany; the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA. She has received numerous grants and awards, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in 2019 and the Danish Arts Council Project Distinction Award in 2023.

Image Credit: Pentimenti & Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY.