Akilah Watts (b. 1996) is a contemporary visual artist from Barbados
whose work explores themes of identity, heritage, and the everyday
Black Barbadian experience. A graduate of the Barbados Community
College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art (2017), Watts uses
her multidisciplinary talents—ranging from painting and drawing to
mixed media, sculpture, and relief work—to create evocative visual
narratives rooted in Caribbean culture.
Her work frequently incorporates symbols of Barbadian life, including
folkloric figures like Mother Sally, traditional fabrics, and familiar local produce, blending nostalgia with critical reflection. Her series Moments From My Island Home captures idealized and realistic views of Barbados, encouraging viewers to connect emotionally with the island’s landscape and stories. In Beautifully Braided, Watts celebrates Black women's natural hair, emphasizing beauty, strength, and cultural identity.
Since her first solo show in 2019, Watts has exhibited internationally in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Miami. She has been featured at notable platforms including the Prizm Art Fair (2017) and the World Trade Center in New York (2021). Her work has drawn attention from Artsy, ArtLeadHER, Artnet, and Good Black Art, as well as local publications like Easy Magazine and M People Magazine.
Beyond her studio practice, Akilah Watts is also the founder of the Greedy Gift Shop, a creative space that promotes Caribbean artistry and craftsmanship. Through her art and entrepreneurial work, Watts continues to shape and share an authentic vision of Caribbean life with a global audience.
BIO
Artist Statement
As a Black Barbadian woman, my work is deeply rooted in the exploration of identity, heritage, and the lived experience of Caribbean life. I create across multiple disciplines, using each medium to build visual narratives that honor the culture I come from while also challenging and expanding its representation.
My art draws heavily from Barbadian folklore, domestic life, and familiar objects: fruits, vegetables and others. These symbols carry deep personal and cultural resonance.and allow me to reflect on themes of nostalgia, belonging, and transformation, inviting the viewer to engage with the beauty and complexity of Caribbean identity.
In my series like Moments From My Island Home, I examine the tension between romanticized perceptions of the island and the nuanced realities that shape daily life. Beautifully Braided celebrates the strength and beauty of natural Black hair, honoring the cultural significance of braiding as both an art form and a marker of identity.
My goal is to create work that speaks to the people and places I come from, while also inviting broader audiences to witness and feel the emotional and historical weight carried in Caribbean stories. Each piece becomes a space for remembrance, resistance, and reimagining—a way of preserving culture and fostering dialogue.
Through my art, I seek not only to represent but to empower and create connections across generations and geographies through the lens of my island home.