Mark Delmont: For a Lifetime

Mark Delmont: “For a Lifetime”

“For a Lifetime” (2026) unfolds across painting, photography, and video as an examination of labor, interdependence, and embodied knowledge. The work draws from Delmont’s background in construction and his time in a fishing village in Paramaribo, Suriname, developed during his participation in the Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) Artist-in-Residence program.

The project foregrounds the physical and historical weight carried by Black and Brown bodies—hands that build, mend, and sustain. In the paintings, figures appear suspended, entangled, or in states of transition, their gestures suggesting coordination, care, and shared movement. The photographic works document acts of making and repair with a quiet attentiveness to process and environment.

Across the installation, Delmont positions labor as a shared language, using the metaphor of “learning how to fish” to propose a model of collective growth. The project ultimately reframes strength as relational—formed through care, proximity, and the willingness to move through uncertain terrain alongside others.

About the Artist

Mark Delmont (b. 1990) is a Haitian-Jamaican multidisciplinary artist based between Miami and Brooklyn whose work centers on the representation of Black and Brown life through materially driven, process-oriented practices. Drawing from a background in construction and mechanical contracting, he creates mixed-media works—often described as “fiber sculptures”—that incorporate materials such as wood, steel, textiles, and found objects.

Delmont’s practice foregrounds the labor, environments, and lived experiences of working-class communities, particularly those historically underrepresented in art history. His work highlights figures and narratives often considered peripheral, emphasizing their cultural and structural significance while creating space for abstraction, dignity, and self-definition beyond dominant narratives.

He has participated in numerous residencies and received multiple grants, including support from the Harpo Foundation, Oolite Arts, and the South Florida Cultural Consortium, with exhibitions and projects presented across South Florida and beyond.