A native Londoner, Marie-Louise Hayward found herself washed up on the shores of Grand Bahama several years ago (a bi-product of marrying a Bahamian). “No post office, no uber, no corner shops, no random chats on the overground, no coffee shops…just miles of empty white sand beaches and turquoise blue water. Seclusion like nothing I had ever experienced,” says Marie-Louise. This allowed her the luxury of turning inward to rediscover a creative flair and passion that had been repressed many years ago.
With a background in advertising (under the watchful eye of printmaker Dave Buonaguidi), Marie-Louise has always been passionate about graphic design, and printmaking provided her with the tools to bring her ideas to life. She taught herself to screen print (with handmade screens and sun exposure) and was able to finesse her skills at Print Club London and St Martin’s College London. Ever since she has been a certified screen printing addict.
Marie-Louise set up INARU Collective in 2021, after the catastrophic Hurricane Dorian devastated the Northern Bahamas. She tells us; “As a trained therapist, introducing my love of screen printing to the local community felt like the natural path to take. Art is a universal language and can remove many communication barriers, especially when trying to engage disenfranchised young people.” In the workshops they play around with fine art ideas, but have a primary focus to create hand screen printed bags. The aim is to inspire young Bahamians by creating sustainably made handicrafts. Off the back of each workshop, the bags are sold (usually locally) and the money is reinvested into more materials for the next workshop.
Marie-Louise’s style of printing is 100% island inspired. She takes inspiration from the bold and vibrant colours that surround her everyday; radiant red hibiscus, emerald green palm leaves, popping pink desert rose, and turquoise Bahamian seas. “Celebrating the vibrancy of Bahamian culture is central to everything I do. The unexpected beauty of layering vibrant colours on top of each other has become my passion,” describes the printmaker. Her island studio is limited, but she is able to create A3 size artworks with the equipment she has imported; a simple light box and a selection of 18 x 20 inch screens.
@marielouise.hayward
@inarucollective
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