Brathwaite has built her artistic practice through the exploration of diverse materials, including ceramics, bronze, cement, wood, and textiles, imprinting sinuous forms, organic lines, and vibrant colors that define her drawings, sculptures, and installations. Just like the landscapes of her homeland, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela, where she settled, the musical practice within her family also became a constant reference for Brathwaite, who is also a DJ.
In Soft Bodies, she investigates materiality, weight, and interaction. Sculptural forms created from stuffed fabrics bring to life drawings that might otherwise remain confined to two dimensions. Whether placed on the floor or suspended, these volumetric pieces—by their very construction and spatial arrangement—suggest continuous expansion and movement. Contrasting with the rigidity of traditional sculpture, her objects are flexible and deformable. The work evokes the dynamics of how bodies react and transform when they collide with one another and with their surroundings.
Anelise De Carli
Valerie Brathwaite (Trinidad & Tobago, 1940) studied at Hornsey College of Art, The Royal College of Art in London, and The Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The artist moved to Venezuela in 1969. She works primarily in sculpture, printmaking, painting, and drawing. She creates organic abstraction using simple sculptural volumes and curved lines. Her work is in several collections in Venezuela, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Art Gallery, and the Alejandro Otero Museum, as well as in private collections in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere in Latin America. She lives in Caracas, Venezuela.
