Photo courtesy of Marlon Leonora
Tarona (b. 1985, Curaçao) is an artist and director based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Her work is a continuous exploration and examination of both the visual representation and misrepresentations of Black and Afro Diasporic peoples through film, photography and language. It is also an exploration of the self; what it means to be of mixed racial descent, spanning continents and the implications for current and future generations' collective identity.
In the European visual landscape, the erasure of Black Caribbean and South American identity is palpable. As they are not a monolith, neither is the representation that is publicly consumed. She is seeking to explore the ways in which the diaspora, in its varied fullness, is represented and contribute to cultivating an alternative and expanded way of knowing and being for Black and Afro Diasporic people.
The imagery in her work questions that visual representation while simultaneously illuminating the complexity of identity defined by oneself and decentering the Eurocentric narrative and gaze. She is giving herself permission to be herself, and in turn offering that permission to others like her.
Grants, Nominations & Awards •
2020 Mondriaan Fund, Stipendium Emerging Artist, Granted
2019 De Kracht Van Rotterdam, Nominated
Education •
2018 Caviar, Traineeship, Producer / 2nd & 3rd AD, Antwerp, BE
2017 Willem de Kooning Academy, Bachelor, Photography, Rotterdam, NL
2016 Willem de Kooning Academy, Minor, Critical Studies, Rotterdam, NL
2015 School Of Visual Arts, Colour Correction For Film, New York, USA
2015 All:Expanded, Internship, Film Production, New York, USA
Publications & Press •
2020 Rotterdam, Postkoloniale Stad In Beweging, Boom Publishers, NL
2020 A Photo Editor, The Daily Promo, Colors, USA
2020 Numeró Netherlands, First Edition Of Natan Collective, NL
2019 NRC, Onalledaagse Beelden Van Leven In De Stad, NL
2019 Algemeen Dagblad, De Achtste Kracht Van Rotterdam, NL
2018 Vice, Deze Fotografen Willen Geestelijke Gezondheid Bespreekbaar Maken, NL
2018 i-D, 8 Jonge Creatievelingen Over Hun Antilliaanse Roots, NL
2018 Typical Girls Magazine, #4 The Typical Issue, UK
2016 GUP, New 2017 (New Dutch Photography Talent), NL
2014 New Dawn, Stills, NL
Exhibitions •
2020 Natan Collective IV, Group, XBank, Amsterdam, NL
2019 Caribbean Ties, Group, Museon, Den Haag, NL
2019 De Kracht Van Rotterdam, Group, Rotterdam, NL
2018 Photography x Mental Health, Group, SAI, Amsterdam, NL
2018 Typical Girls Magazine, Group, Lighthouse, Brighton, UK
2016 GUP New 2017, Group, 5&33 Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2016 Trespassers W, Group, Wijnhaven Festival, Rotterdam, NL
2016 Unstated (or, Living Without Approval), Group, BAK, Utrecht, NL
2014 Tension, Group, Fenixloodsen, Rotterdam, NL
2014 Bring Your Own Beamer, Group, Sing Sweat Shop, Rotterdam, NL
2012 JR's Inside Out, Group, HipHopHuis, Rotterdam, NL
Related Work Experience •
2020 Teacher, Critical Dialogues, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL
2020 Teacher, Photography, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL
2020 Panel Talk, Culture & Solidarity, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, NL
2020 Digital Curator, Black Art Matters, Ello.co, Online
2019 Guest Teacher, Photography, Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam, NL
2019 Assistant Producer, Caviar, Amsterdam, NL
2019 Artist Talk, PictureThis, Museon, The Hague, NL
2019 Panel Talk, Caribbean Ties, Museon, The Hague, NL
2018 Assistant Photography, Elizaveta Porodina New York, NY, USA
