Bajo el Sol Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its next exhibition, From A Small Place, on Saturday, May 9 at 4 p.m. at Mongoose Junction. The exhibition will be up through June.
In A Small Place, Caribbean writer Jamaica Kincaid reflects on the layered realities of small island life—its beauty, contradictions, intimacy, and weight. This exhibition does not illustrate her text but moves alongside it through the work of three young women from St. John.
Working in paint, clay, and metal, Kristen Maize, Cynthia Swan, and Khaleila Krall — artists from St. John — explore what it means to come from a place often romanticized, but less often understood through experience. Their work resists spectacle; instead, each artist translates St. John through a deep, embodied familiarity with their surroundings.
From A Small Place brings together three artists whose artistic practices remind us: what is made in a small place is never small.
The opening reception will also feature a live performance by guest jazz saxophonist Jonte Samuel, adding a musical element to the evening.
Kristen Maize was born and raised on the island of St. John, where she spent her life on the water and in the bush. After attending college in California, she returned home to pursue a science career while dedicating much of her time to painting. With practice and mentorship, Kristen developed her oil painting skills and began exhibiting professionally in 2007.
After earning a graduate degree from Duke University, she traveled to Hawaii to paint, surf, and work in marine conservation. She now splits her time between Honolulu and St. John and works with The Nature Conservancy, helping protect coral reefs worldwide. Working primarily in oils, Kristen paints from her home studios using photos and memory as inspiration.
“In A Small Place, Maize paints island scenes and still lifes that call to her—embracing bright, bold colors and moments that bring her joy and hold personal significance.”
Cynthia Swan was born and raised on St. John and is a graduate of The Gifft Hill School. She grew up sailing, swimming, and exploring the ocean that continues to shape her work. After graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design, she returned home in 2016 following time spent traveling.
An entrepreneur at heart, Swan has owned and operated several businesses on St. John, including Spritz Studio and Virgin Abis.
Her connection to ceramics began in her teens through summer lessons with Gail Van Der Bogart, but she only began working seriously with clay six years ago, primarily on a small wheel in her garage. In From A Small Place, Swan creates ocean-inspired porcelain pieces defined by clean, soft designs and shaped by the waters surrounding the Virgin Islands. This marks her first exhibition.
Khaleila Krall, born and raised on St. John, is the daughter of two metalsmiths and carries that legacy into her own practice. A graduate of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School and University of the Virgin Islands, her work is shaped by growing up in a small, deeply connected community where objects hold memory and meaning.
Working primarily in gold and silver, Krall creates delicate yet striking pieces that incorporate precious stones, balancing refinement with rawness. Guided by material and process, she embraces organic forms, natural textures, and the unpredictability of techniques like sand casting and melting, allowing each piece to remain unique.=
In A Small Place her work is intimate and intentional, inspired by the natural world and the quiet complexity of small places, where every form carries a sense of origin and connection.
About the Gallery: Located at Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay St. John. Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar is a hybrid art gallery, bookstore, café, rum and cocktail bar. As a gallery and events space, Bajo El Sol is dedicated to offering the best in Virgin Islands fine art and cultural expression.
