Tirzo Martha lives and works in Curaçao. He grew up in the neighbourhood of Buena Vista. His work is an analysis of the contemporary Caribbean societies that are still afraid to free themselves from the burden created in the past. In 2019 Martha won the 11th Wilhelmina Ring Prize.

His work has been part of various majorexhibitions and biennales across the world, among them: “Afro-Victimize” (solo), The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, Miami, 2011; “Destiny; Shunning the Journey” (solo), BCN Art Directe, Barcelona, 2003; “De Drenkeling” (solo), Center For Contemporary Art Dordrecht 2002; “Tropisch Koninkrijk”, Museum De Fundatie, Zwolle, Netherlands, 2013; “Zwart & Wit”, Tropen Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2013; “Caribbean Crossroads of the World”, Queens Museum of Art, New York, 2012; “The Global Contemporary. Art Worlds After 1989”, Museum Contemporary Arts ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2011; “1st International Triennial of the Caribbean”, Museo Arte Moderno, Rep. Dominicana 2010; “Bienal de La Habana”, Habana Cuba, 2009; “Jorge and Jimmy and the Piraten Club”, Gallery Metis-NL together with David Bade, Amsterdam, 2008; “Infinite Island”, Brooklyn Museum, New York 2007 and “Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea”, Florence, 2005.

The Instituto Buena Bista, Curaçao Center for Contemporary Art, IBB, started in 2006 as an artists initiative with the goal to create a solid platform for art and art education. As an art institute that offers preparatory training for young talent, the IBB deals with all the aspects of art and art education that make a follow-up to an art academy or creative schooling possible. The educational components do not limit themselves to the students but also cover a broad area of the Curaçao and Caribbean art towards the local society.

POSTED in 2013