CV – Asher Mains

(b, 1984 – )

E d u c a t i o n

2021 – Current Ph.D (abd), Philosophy, Art, and Critical Thought, The European Graduate School

2014 – 2016 MFA, Creative Practice, Transart Institute, Plymouth University, UK

2002 – 2006 B.A. Interdisciplinary (Communications Arts & Sciences, Religion, Sociology), Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

2005 University of Ghana, Music and Cultural Studies, Accra, Ghana

N o n – D e g r e e  E a r n i n g

2011 – 2012, International Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.

2010 – 2011, Entrepreneurship, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.

2008 – 2010 Studio Art, Brookhaven College, Dallas, Texas

P r o f e s s i o n a l

Volunteer visual arts advisor 2023 – Present: Grenada National Museum

Instructor 2016 – 2023: St. George’s University, School of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, True Blue, Grenada.

Founder and director 2015 – Current: Art School Greenz: An alternative art school in Grenada designed to mind the gap between secondary school and a contemporary art practice.

Gallery Director – Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada.

Grenada Arts Council 2018 – Current – President

Resident Director of Art House 473 2018 – Present, Calliste, Grenada.

Director of Research, Grenada National Pavilion at the 58th Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy.

Professional Services

2019    Planned and led a group of 4 young creatives from Grenada to see the Venice Biennale, underwritten by Grenada Arts Council, Art School Greenz, and the Ministry of Culture

2017 – Present          Host of life drawing sessions at Art House 473

2017 – 2020          Volunteer curator for the Waving Art Gallery at Maurice Bishop International Airport, Point Salines, Grenada                                            

2013 – Present          Facilitating exhibits for Grenada Arts Council

S o l o / D u o  E x h i b i t i o n s

2024 “Land, Sea, and the Hoi Poloi”, with Susan Mains, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados. 

2020 “Poetic Architecture”, Solo Exhibit, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada.

2017 “Sea Lungs and Glitter”, Dual Show with Amy Cannestra, Waving Art Gallery, Maurice Bishop International Airport

2017 “Derek Walcott’s, The Sea is History” Memorial tribute, Navy’s Officer Club, Venice, Italy.

2017 “Sea Lungs”, Solo Show, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2016 “Society: Cocoa”, Cocoa Farmers in Grenada, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada.

2016 “Lions, Fish, and Vestiges of Gold”, Dual show with Susan Mains, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados.

2014 “Painted Portraits for Cocoa Farmers”, Solo Show, Crayfish Bay Organic Cocoa Estate, Nonpareil, Grenada

2014 “Re/Vision: Twenty Years of Exhibiting Art in Grenada”, Solo Show, Art and Soul Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2014 “Grafted Narratives”, Dual Show with Susan Mains, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados

2012 “Everything is Peachy in Babylon”, Solo Show, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados

2010 “Transitions” – Solo Show, Holetown, Barbados. A-Gallery at the Mews Restaurant.

2008 “Caribbean Collage”, Susan Mains, Asher Mains. Speightstown, Barbados. Gallery of Caribbean Art.

2006 “Young Men Paint Life!”: Gilbert Nero, Asher Mains, Grenada Arts Council exhibition space, Lagoon Road, Grenada

2001 Jazz Festival Dual Show: Susan Mains, Asher Mains

B i e n n a l e s

2023 ESPOSIZIONE TRIENNALE DI ARTI VISIVE A ROMA, Rome, Italy

2022 59th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, “An Unknown That Does Not Terrify”, Venice, Italy

2022 14th La Habana de Bienal, Havana, Cuba

2017 57th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, “The Bridge”, Venice, Italy

2015 Trio Bienal, “Reverberations – Crossed Borders of Three Dimensionality” Instituto Europeo do Design – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2015 56th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, “Present Nearness”, Venice, Italy

A r t  F a i r s

2016 Artigo Rio Art Fair, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2016 Rhy Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland

2016 Feria Arte Medellin, Colombia

G r o u p  E x h i b i t i o n s

2024 Creative Affairs Independence Exhibit, Olympic House, Morne Rouge, Grenada

2024 Infinite Futures: Grenada’s Golden Jubilee, Grenada National Museum, St. George’s, Grenada

2023 Art House 473 5th Anniversary Exhibit, Calliste, Grenada

2023 Caribbean Art: 4 artists from Grenada, Albany Sauna, Albany, California, United States

2023 Cypher Collective Exhibit, Shakespeare Mas, Mermaid Beach Hotel, Hillsborough, Carriacou, Grenada

2022 6th Grenada Contemporary, Calling the Magician, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada

2021 Grenada Pavilion, World Expo 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2021 Tune Into Green – Exhibition Three, Diorama Room, Austin, Texas, United States

2020 Grenada Arts Council Pop-up Exhibit, Carenage, St. George’s, Grenada

2019 5th Grenada Contemporary Exhibit, The Beach, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada

2019 Inauguration, Q0DE, Amman, Jordan

2019 Sea Sanctum, with Susan Mains and Jason deCaires Taylor, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada

2019 Anima Mundi: Rituals, The Room: Contemporary Art Space, Venice, Italy.

2019 Grenada Arts Council Pop-up Exhibits, Spiceland Mall, Morne Rouge, Grenada.

2019 “Independence Exhibit”, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada

2018 “BIG works show”, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2018 “Westindian Squared”: Susan Mains, Virgil Broodhagen and Catherine Cheeatow, Asher Mains, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados

2017 Grenada Contemporary Exhibit, “Westindian”, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada.

2016 Grenada Contemporary Exhibit, “The Bridge”, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2016 WateRED: In Dialogue with artists Omar Shoukri and Lindey Anderson, Berlin, Germany.

2016 International Contemporary Art Exhibition in Dialogue with Reality of Guarani Culture, Santa Rosa, Bolivia.

2015 Grenada Contemporary Exhibit, “State of Flux”, Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2015 “Loose Affairs”, Transart Institute Group Show, SomoS Art Project Space, Berlin, Germany

2015 Grenada Chocolate Festival Exhibit, Art and Soul Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2014 Grenadian Contemporary Exhibit, Art and Soul Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2011 – 2013 Grenada Arts Council “Little Jewels” Exhibit. St. George’s, Grenada.

2012 Grenada Arts Council Carnival Exhibit. St. George’s, Grenada

2011 Grenada Revolution and Art: From the Artists’ Perspective, St. George’s, Grenada

2010 Expo 2010 Shanghai, China, Grenada Pavilion

2010 Grenada Arts Council Annual Exhibit, 300 Years, Town of St. George’s. St. George’s, Grenada.

2007 “Between”, Rex Grenadian, Grenada. Asher Mains, Susan Mains, Rene Froehlich, and Oliver Benoit

2005 “The Artists of Grenada”, Art Curators Gallery, St. Ann’s, Trinidad

2002 “Exhibit of Grenadian Art,” OAS Gallery Washington D.C.: Oliver Benoit, Christine Matuschek, Susan Mains, Asher Mains

2002 Jazz Festival, Grenada

2001 “Beyond Walls” Group Show, University of the West Indies Country Conference, Grenada

1995 Grenada Arts Council Annual Exhibit, GAC “Artists Expression of Music” Best in Show Prize

1994 Grenada Independence Exhibition, University of the West Indies, Marryshow House, St. George’s, Grenada.

1994 – 2020 Grenada Arts Council Annual Exhibit, St. George’s, Grenada

C u r a t i n g

2024 Infinite Futures: Grenada’s Golden Jubilee, Grenada National Museum, St. George’s, Grenada

2023 Art House 473 5th Anniversary Exhibit, Calliste, Grenada

2022 6th Grenada Contemporary, Calling the Magician, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada

2019 35th Anniversary Maurice Bishop International Airport, Point Salines, Grenada

2019 Sea Sanctum, with Susan Mains and Jason deCaires Taylor, Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada

2019 Selection from Grenada Arts Council’s Permanent Collection, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada

2019 Independence Exhibit, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada

2018 Natural Forms, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada

2018 Art School Greenz Young Artists Rising Summer Intensive, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

2018 Solo Exhibit: Rene Froehlich, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

2018 Co-curated “BIG works exhibit”: Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada

2018 New Work: John Henry, Kristianne Buxo, Fred Grissom, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

2018 Art School Greenz Assemblage and Stencils Exhibit, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

2017 100% Amazing Luke: The Figurative Sculptures of Godfrey Luke, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

2017 Art School Greenz Intro to Oil Painting Class Paintings, Waving Art Gallery, Point Salines, Grenada.

R e s i d e n c i e s

2016 Transart Summer Residency – Berlin, Germany

2016 Contemporary Art in Conversation with the Guarani People – Santa Rosa, Bolivia

2016 Transart Winter Residency – Manhattan, New York, United States

2015 Transart Summer Residency – Berlin, Germany

2015 Transart Winter Residency – Manhattan, New York, United States

2014 Crayfish Bay Organic Cocoa Estate – Nonpariel, Grenada, West Indies

2014 Transart Summer Residency – Berlin, Germany

C u r r e n t G a l l e r i e s

Susan Mains Gallery, Grand Anse, Grenada, West Indies.

Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados, West Indies.

Art House 473, Calliste, Grenada, West Indies.

Q0de Gallery, Amman, Jordan.

On the Wall Gallery, Barbados, West Indies.

C o r p o r a t e  C o l l e c t i o n s

True Blue Bay Resort, Grenada

Ministry of Tourism, Grenada

Le Phare Bleu, Grenada

Cathedral Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, Bolivia

Royal Collection, Great Britain

La Luna, Grenada

Belmont Estate, Grenada

Republic Bank, Grenada

Publications Citing Mains

Meneghetti, P. (2022, November 15). Un’Opacita’ affettiva per il sole “Carnevalesco”. LOBODILATTICE. https://www.lobodilattice.com/content/unopacita-affettiva-sole-carnevalesco

Maria Rosetti, 58th Venice Biennale of Art, and the 3rd for Grenada. Published May 23rd, 2019. https://www.thegrenadainformer.com/news/item/5247-58th-venice-biennale-of-art-and-the-3rd-for-grenada

The Venice Insider, Review of the Art Biennale 2017: Grenada, June 1st, 2017.                https://www.theveniceinsider.com/art-biennale-2017-grenada/

Viva Arte Viva, Biennale Arte 2017. Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, 2015. Participating Countries, Collateral Events. Exhibition Catalogue.

Sheba Augustine, Sea Lungs: An Installation by Asher Mains. Published April 23, 2017 http://grenadasouladventurer.blogspot.com/2017/04/sea-lungs-installation-by-asher-mains.html

Deborah Root, Review of Asher Mains Society: Cocoa. Published April 1st, 2016.            http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2016/04/review-asher-mains-society-cocoa/

Lin Rihawi, Venice Biennale: Lin Rihawi from the Grenada Pavilion. October 5, 2015. https://webrecorder.io/ClarkArtLibrary/2017-venice-biennale-grenada-pavilion-on-instagram

All The World’s Futures, Biennale Arte 2015. Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, 2015. Participating Countries, Collateral Events. Exhibition Catalogue

Christina Cornier, “Re/Vision” Solo exhibition at Art and Soul Gallery July 27th, 2014, https://www.bajanreporter.com/2014/07/asher-mains-revision-solo-exhibition-at-art-and-soul-gallery-by-christina-cornier/

Ian Bourne, You’re Excused while you Kiss the Sky: Channelling Pollock & Kahlo, Grenada raised Asher Mains infuses “Dreaducation” with Bob Marley’s lyrics. Published March 14th, 2012,                                                             https://www.bajanreporter.com/2012/03/youre-excused-while-you-kiss-the-sky-channelling-pollock-kahlo-grenada-raised-asher-mains-infuses-dreaducation-with-bob-marleys-lyrics/

Publications as Author

“Fragments of Epic Memory and Futures in Relation”. Epic Memory. Grenada National Pavilion for the 58th Biennale di Venezia. Edited by Flavia Rovetta and Frederica Savo, 2019. Essay for Exhibition Catalogue. Start Distribution: (67 – 70)

“Empathy of Place”. July 2016.

“Everything is Peachy in Babylon”. March 2012. Exhibition Catalogue. https://www.blurb.com/b/3091337-everything-is-peachy-in-babylon

Interviews

2022 “An Unknown That Does Not Terrify”, 59th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, Venice, Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZio0CIjZR8&t=294s

2017 “Asher Mains talking about Sea Lungs”, 57th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, Venice, Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeOwtfOcz0I&t=3s

2016 “Cocoa Tea with the Artist”, Susan Mains Gallery, Morne Rouge, Grenada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5tGR3hedfQ

2015   56th Biennale di Venezia, Grenada National Pavilion, Venice, Italy.                                                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBYuxs76GSE

2015   Trio Bienal, “Reverberations – Crossed Borders of Three Dimensionality” Instituto Europeo do Design – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=ABGtfe5ZfmQ

2014   “Grafted Narratives”, Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown, Barbados.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SoNtgph7gM