Safía Stoute
1st Place Winner of the "Drawing Self-Emancipation" Youth Art Competition 2026
Artist bio
Safía Stoute, born and raised in Barbados, is a passionate lover of art and fashion.
Safía started her art practice with a great interest in art at the end of 2016, and gained her associates degree in fine arts at the Barbados Community College in 2019. She has worked alongside various Barbadian artists and worked on many on island creative projects. Currently, she creates mostly with oils on canvas and also does works with watercolour on paper, murals and sculptures.
Her work expressively visualizes imagery on topics such as selfhood, childhood, adulthood, race, Caribbean life, gender identity, and body image.
Title of artwork: "I Do Not Serve"
Watercolour, pencil, inks and collage on paper
Artist Statement
In reading through the several advertisements of “runaway slaves” I was particularly drawn to create my piece based on the ad describing the women and children who self-emancipated themselves.
The idea of using the Barbados Penny within my work instantly struck me, deciding to switch the words to “I do not serve” showing how these persons were reclaiming their agency. It was quite eye-opening to see that a plantation name stated in this article is still used to this day, although no longer a plantation. I decided to visualise this name in my piece, really to question why. Within the piece I used various Adinkra symbols that link to the story and path of the women and children in the ad. My piece, which is primarily watercolour, utilises a number of techniques such as collage to bring my vision to life.
The piece juxtaposes how these persons were described in the ad versus how I think they would have seen themselves, empowered and free…
Self-emancipating people: Ambah, Quashiba, Dicky, Betty, Molly
Advertisement from the newspaper "Barbados Mercury" (January 3, 1789)
Transcription
Runaway from the subscriber the following negro slaves:
AMBAH, a short thick set and very black skin wench, about 50 years old, a native of Africa, which is discoverable by her speech although she has been here since her youth; much given to strong liquors, and has lost the fore-finger from her left hand; she has a husband named Sam at Sandy-Lane estate, where; and in its neighbourhood, she has been frequently and lately seen, particularly at the Hole-Town.
QUASHIBA (her daughter) a tall slim wench, of a yellowish complexion, about 30 years old, and much marked with the small-pox, an excellent washer-woman and may probably offer herself in that capacity; took with her, her son named DICKY, about 4 years old; she has a husband named SAM COOK at Mrs.Skinner’s in Speights-Town, and has been frequently seen in the Roebuck.
BETTY, a very black-skin girl, about 13 years old, (Ambah’s daughter) and supposed with her. The above slaves are so well known in and about BridgeTown (where they lived many years) as to require no further description; the persons of the two first are perfectly well known to Mr. Gooding, of the Cage, and his assistants.
MOLLY, a slim black-skin wench, about 35 years old, has a husband named JEMMY, belonging to John-Jordan Griffith, esq.; near whose house, and at the Castle estate, she has been often seen lately; she is well known in this part of the island, where she was born and has lived most of her life-time, and is remarkable for nothing more than a very simple unmeaning countenance. A REWARD of FIVE POUNDS each will be given for AMBAH and QUASHIBA, and THREE POUNDS, FIFTEEN SHILLINGS each, for BETTY and MOLLY; and as the law will be rigidly enforced against any white or free person harbouring or employing any of the above mentioned slaves, any person giving information sufficient to convict any offenders, shall receive whatever sum may consequently be recovered on such conviction. JonathanPerkins Parish of St. Lucy, Decem. 20, 1788.
The advertisement is in page 2 of the newspaper. To read the full issue, please click here.