Vincent “Bing” Malone
Bing was born and raised and still lives in Fat Hog’s Bay, Tortola. Bing says his mum nicknamed him “Bien” when he was a child because he was ‘good’ and never cried. Throughout his childhood, he drew “anything that anyone would mention.” He drew on the blackboard and made his classmates laugh.
During his 20s, he built Bing’s Drop Inn, a restaurant that now doubles as his art studio, after which he moved to St. Thomas, “to explore”, he says. He then moved on to New York where he received his first and only formal training in art doing silk screening. Bing says he developed the skill of painting by “just wanting to be an artist”.
After moving back to Tortola in the 90s, he sold his first painting. Because he had no money, he had to use his wooden cutting board to make a canvas.
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The quaint painting can still be found at Bing’s Drop Inn today; he traded that first painting with the owner for a new one.Bing credits his cousin Russell Lettsome and uncle Davin Frett, both artists, for inspiring and encouraging his art.
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Bing recalls his uncle saying before he died: “Bing, you’re getting better than me.” He also is grateful for his wife, Xiomara Grossett, who is also an artist and fashion designer.
What does art mean to Bing?
“Art is a way of knowing that all things are possible.”
Bing says he has always been fascinated with colours and is motivated to see what the final product will be. “I love colours…if it’s a dark day, you can have a bright beautiful day by having beautiful colours around you.”
His favourite thing to paint is clouds because they change constantly. “It’s for the now. You see everything in the clouds. You see all sorts of things in the cloud that you’re like ‘wow’, but it lasts for a second…brings you more to the spiritual side of life.”
While Bing’s preferred medium is paint, he also makes bags and jewellery from calabash and also designs and sews clothes.
Bing says his highest point as an artist happens every time he paints, when he “connects with the spiritual side of the Universe”.
