AI Meets Art: Vince Fraser Brings Innovation to Carifesta 15

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries across the world, and now it’s carving out space in the creative arena. At Carifesta 15, global visual artist Vince Fraser introduced Caribbean audiences to the transformative potential of AI in art, urging creators to embrace technology as a tool to expand their imagination rather than fear it.

The London-based artist, of Jamaican heritage, has built a career that spans more than three decades. Originally trained in interior design before moving into digital illustration, he now creates large-scale immersive visual experiences that blend technology with culture. His acclaimed work “Ase: Afro-Frequencies” weaves narratives of Black history, resilience, and futurism, offering audiences spaces to reflect on heritage and envision strength and unity in the future. Exhibited in cities including London, Stockholm, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Washington DC, and Tokyo, his art bridges global stages with ancestral roots.

Vince Fraser showcases his digital art piece at CARIFESTA XV during the New Media Workshop, held at the Youth Village at Barbados Community College (BCC)

Since 2020, the visual artist has been incorporating Artificial Intelligence into his projects, describing it as an evolution in how artists can imagine and produce.

“AI sort of came in, which was probably late 2020, early 21, I thought to myself, right, I need to kind of learn some of these skills and incorporate it into my workflow. So for me it is very important to be able to use new tools as a creative.”

While he acknowledges that copyright and ethical challenges remain, Fraser insists that this should not discourage experimentation.

“AI is it in terms of creativity… it’s brilliant because there’s so much you can do with it, you know, it’s just endless possibilities. I understand that a lot of people are not keen on it because obviously a lot of these models which are trained are using lots of information from other artists and data on the internet. So there’s… a whole kind of copyright issue going on and… an ethical kind of thing going on at the moment, but I feel like in the future there will be regulations put in place… and hopefully that should really kind of solve the problem with AI in the creative industry.”

The beginner-friendly workshop, held at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed on August 27th, guided participants through the basics of AI-powered tools. From reimagining video footage and transforming its elements, to generating and editing images through text prompts, attendees were shown how to take still visuals into animated motion. The focus was on exploration encouraging artists to discover for themselves how AI can expand creative boundaries.

The digital creator also stressed the importance of these skills for the region, noting that while such workshops are common in Europe and the US, the Caribbean is at risk of being left behind.

“I feel it’s very important for people of color, especially because they already have these kinds of workshops in Western Europe, London or Italy or wherever you know, but it doesn’t seem to be any workshops like this in the Caribbean. And I feel like for the young generation, they do need to learn how to use AI in order to be able to keep up with the technology. And also to compete with the rest of the world as well. So I feel it’s really vital for the young kids to learn this stuff as soon as possible, which is why we need to have workshops in the Caribbean.”

Much of Fraser’s earlier art explored African ancestral history, but he collaborations with regional creatives.

He is also recognized for masking his identity, letting the work take center stage while drawing on powerful cultural symbolism.

“You put the mask on you become the wearer, whether it was an ancestor before….African masks could been seen through-out my art work, and masks have different meaning for different tribes. As a person of color you have to wear multiple masks to navigate through Western society. It is also like a force field, like a barrier.”

For him, creativity is not just about mastering tools or adopting technology, but also about mindset. He recalled a moment on his flight to Barbados that resonated with him deeply:

“I was sitting next to an older Bajan man who asked about my work and I was telling him about what I do with my exhibitions around the world. Then he said, oh, the Three Ds…I said to him, what’s the 3D’s? And He said discipline. Determination and dedication, if you have those you can do anything.” (PR)