Through the Looking Glass, a Journey to Freedom: The 2025 Central Bank Crop Over Visual Art Exhibition

How do we as Barbadians see ourselves? Through which lens do we capture our identity? This was the question 68 artists had the opportunity to answer for the 2025 Central Bank of Barbados Crop Over Visual Art Exhibition, which is taking place during the Season of Emancipation Under the theme “Inner Visions.”

This year’s exhibition holds particular significance. As Barbados gets ready to host CARIFESTA XV, the organisers of the exhibition thought it fitting to explore identity. According to curator Oneka Small, “we wanted the artists to look at ourselves as Barbadians because we want to put forward what reflects Barbados. So we thought of "Inner Visions’ so we would look inward.”

The Queen’s Park Gallery once again served as the home of the exhibition, continuing its role as a vital space for artistic expression in Barbados.  Small emphasised the importance of this platform, noting that the exhibition “shows our creativity and how we are able to use our creativity to move forward.” Notably, this year’s exhibition embraced digital art, highlighting how technology can expand the possibilities of modern-day art. By incorporating new technologies, artists continue to expand the boundaries of traditional forms and represent how innovation can serve as a tool for cultural storytelling.

The exhibition has unfolded in two parts. The first, “Self-Reflection,” opened on May 26 and ran until June 21.  It invited a range of artistic expression from photography to mixed media pieces that showcased various perspectives of self. The Bank acquired two of the featured pieces for its collection: “Mbambi” by Aaron Trotman, a unique charcoal piece enhanced with an ultraviolet feature that reveals new dimensions under light, and “Rules for Walking on Water” by Jillian McIntyre, a powerful painting depicting a woman guiding her two children through turbulent seas.

The second half of the exhibition, “Diasporic Connections,” opened on June 28 and will run until August 9. This segment slightly shifts the focus, exploring Barbadian identity within the global diaspora. Here, artists grapple with questions of belonging, heritage, and transformation. The works offer numerous perspectives, some of beauty and others of chaos, all contributing to a multifaceted portrait of who we are.

The exhibition acts as a cultural mirror. It welcomes Barbadians to look within and around themselves, to celebrate complexity, and to unify through shared roots. As Small noted, “We’re a diverse population, but at the heart of it, we are one Barbadian people with very strong African ancestry that runs throughout every human being.”

The 2025 Central Bank of Barbados Crop Over Visual Arts Exhibition runs until August 9 at the Queen’s Park Gallery. Admission is free of charge.