Ubani, Deime

Deime Ubani (b.1988) is a Bahamian artist of Nigerian and Barbadian descent living and working in New Providence, The Bahamas. Ubani's bright color palette, in conjunction with her experimentation with different materials (acrylics, oil pastels, oil stains, magazine clippings, and epoxy resin on canvas or wood) are influenced by her multi-heritage. The resourcefulness that is common to those in the diasporic region that are trying to find and understand themselves. A descendant of successive generations of foreigners, she meshes the gap between time, location and its effects. As she tries to understand her relatively new diasporic maternal heritage in comparison to her uninterrupted paternal heritage, she navigates trying to find peace and belonging in either.

Nurtured by other creative family members on her mother’s side of the family, locally and internationally - such as her late uncle, African American artist Philemon Reid (VA, OR) - she decided upon graduating from St. Augustine's College to attend the College of The Bahamas, now University of The Bahamas. Since obtaining her degree she has worked as a freelance artist, showcasing her fine art under Ubani Artworks and most recently, a home decor brand called Big Wood Bahamas. Her work has been featured by The D’Aguilar Art Foundation, The Central Bank of The Bahamas, The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, The Current Gallery and Art Center, The Salus Project, and the SeeMe Art Takes Times Square art show. Her pieces were also among those chosen as part of the interior design of the Baha Mar resort in the nation’s capital. She campaigns for more artistic opportunities in her country by hosting and curating open calls for local artists most recently at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.