Nastassia Pratt wears many hats. A full-time assistant curator and graphic designer at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), the 29-year-old also makes time to paint, craft model homes and study architecture. The commitments come naturally for Pratt, whose passion lies in studying and recreating the traditional Bahamian homes found in inner-city neighborhoods.
Introduced to painting and architecture during her high school years at St. John's College, Pratt took part in the Royal Bank of Canada FINCO summer art workshop as a 12th grader. Under the supervision of legendary Bahamian artist Max Taylor, she got acquainted with watercolor painting. In the fall, the young artist moved on to pursue architectural studies at The College of The Bahamas; a year later, she transferred to Ryerson University, Toronto.
"I first started painting with watercolor in that workshop. Since then I've pretty much just been developing it. At first I did still-lifes, like the onions and the mangos, but when I really started my studies at Ryerson, I said I need to paint what I'm really passionate about and interested in."
Moving home in 2010 to raise money for her final year of university, Pratt has spent the past three years at the NAGB - an environment which has only served to fuel her enthusiasm for painting and local architecture. It seems the post may have helped her find her niche.
She held her first solo show, Home Sweet Home, in June 2013 at Popopstudios. The exhibition was a hit, and the sales from the event helped to pay off tuition fees from her earlier years at Ryerson. One year later, she hopes to repeat the success with a second show.
Based at the NAGB, Pratt's Nassau Facades opened in June. The exhibition features a series of watercolors showcasing existing homes in the Bain Town area. The paintings are complemented by a selection of Pratt's delicate model homes. For the aspiring architect, combining art and building design comes naturally.
"I think they both kind of play into each other in a way," said Pratt. "My art really informs my design, and I guess what I do in school is pretty much informed by art also."
So far, she's sold four paintings and one model house in the show, which ends on July 30. Fans of her work are justified in their admiration; Pratt has long been dedicated to putting in the work to make each piece special. When she's not at the NAGB, she can be found exploring Over the Hill neighborhoods in search of homes exuding the traditional architecture she finds captivating.
"Working here (at the NAGB), I do quite a bit of research and read quite a lot of books by Dr. Gail Saunders. So, reading the books, it just made sense to do houses, because it's like history and design," said Pratt. "I'm really intrigued by the homes in the older neighborhoods - like Chippingham, Bain Town - and I like to study them to the best of my abilities. I'm trying to make my way through different streets. I've been on Jail Alley and Anderson's, so I'm trying to somehow map it out."
She's only got a few more months to explore before taking a hiatus - the painter will be returning to Ryerson in the fall to complete her bachelor's degree in architectural science. She has hopes of returning in spring 2015 to contribute to the country's "creative fields". Feeling enticed by both painting and architecture, Pratt is still pondering the best method of combining the two areas for her career.
"The only person who I knew of doing anything similar past was Jackson Burnside. He was really the only person who I could have spoken to about this stuff, and he got it immediately," she said of the difficult decision.
Having been dissuaded in her earlier years from pursuing visual arts as full-time career, Pratt's position at the gallery has helped to change her perspective on the feasibility of painting as a profession.
"I was always told, 'Don't be an artist, you'll starve. You'll go hungry.' But seeing and speaking with artists like Max Taylor, Dionne Benjamin-Smith, and seeing how seriously they take their practice - that's their full-time job - and I started to take my practice more seriously. With my first show last year, I was like, 'This is a serious profession that I could take on'. And so far it's been fairly successful."
Looking up to some of The Bahamas' visual arts powerhouses, who include John Cox and NAGB Director Amanda Coulson, Pratt is grateful to have received a warm welcome from the arts community.
"One thing I love about this art community is they're very helpful and open. I'm a developing artist, and I'm still growing," She said. "I just hope that the art community can keep being true to themselves."
To find out more about Pratt, Nassau Facades and her other artwork, visit her Tumblr page at http://nastassiapratt.tumblr.com/. To see Nassau Facades in person before the show ends, visit the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

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