"Glowing Male Fruit: Exploring Banana Leaves" (2025)

Mixed Media on WaterColor Paper
22 x 30 inches

Artist Statement:

Karen Drysdale Harris creates distinctive artworks that intertwine nature and memory, emphasizing her deep connection to color, light, and Caribbean flora—particularly banana trees. Her work explores the intricate textures, patterns, and colors of these plants, evoking memories 
of her Jamaican childhood home.

Observing the life cycle of banana leaves, she reflects on themes of transition and the journey of life. By growing her own banana plant, she incorporates its leaves into her work, paying homage to her grandparents’ banana farm while symbolizing her personal immigrant journey of displacement and the comfort she found in nature while being separated from her mother.

Harris integrates various cultural elements into her practice, including Aboriginal Songlines. The hummingbird, known as the "Doctor Bird" in Jamaica - a symbol of her mother, frequently appears in her recent works. The "Glowing Male Fruit" explores the reproduction of the banana plant.