Category: ARTS & CULTURE

Samantha Abraham develops her art form A young, talented artist, Samantha Abraham is well on her way to becoming one of Guyana’s most notable artists. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Samantha said she developed a passion for art since childhood. “For as long as I can remember, I have been drawing. Since grade three or four, I remember drawing my first beach scene for a class assignment. I wanted to get every detail so right. This developed in me a passion for art,” she recalled. While growing up,…

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Vannetta Seecharran has been influencing the art and design of jewellery for nearly 20 years. She focuses on teaching professional jewellery-making techniques in a way that is fun and accessible to beginners and those who want to pursue jewellery as a hobby or as a profession. Born in Guyana, the London-based jewellery teacher migrated at the age of 11 with her parents to New York. She graduated in 1991 from the prestigious Parsons School of Art with a BA in Product Design. She later earned a Masters of Fine Arts…

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Travell Blackman was admitted to the E R Burrowes School of Art in 2001, as the youngest student due to the excellent portfolio he was able to present to the interview panel, since the age for admission to Burrowes was 18 years at that time. This ambition, displayed at a young age, has been constantly showcased in Blackman’s art. Blackman was a major in Painting and minor in Textiles at Burrowes. He graduated from the art institution in 2004, copping the awards for Best Student in Painting and Best Graduating…

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Stanwyck Cromwell creates art work “from a cultural point of view” Stanwyck E. Cromwell was born 1948 in Georgetown with the artistic talents of both parents. This talent, he says, was nurtured by another noted Guyanese artist, who is also his cousin, Maurice C. Jacobs, who helped him develop that talent. Cromwell attended the former British Guiana Educational Trust High School, and graduated with high honours in art and foreign language. He worked for several years as a graphic artist at the Guyana Lithographic Company, working alongside well-known Guyanese artist…

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Donald Cuthbert Locke was born in the West Coast Demerara village of Stewartville, and began painting in 1947 under ER Burrowes, MBE. Locke was awarded a British Council Scholarship in 1954, and studied at Bath Academy of Art in Wiltshire, England. In 1959 he was awarded a Guyana Government Award to Edinburgh University, Scotland. He returned home to become involved in the Independence artists of the era before migrating from Guyana in 1970. It is said that he became disillusioned with the British art scene and arrived in the United…

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“Art makes life, makes importance, and [there is] no other substitute for the force of beauty and its process.” These are the words by prolific artist Collette Jones-Chin, who holds a Diploma in Painting and Graphic Arts from the Burrowes School of Art, a BA in Art Education and Fine Art from the University of Guyana, and a Certificate in Fine Art from the Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada. She also possesses several other certificates in Management and Strategic Planning. Jones-Chin has mounted several solo exhibitions in Barbados, St…

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Born in Guyana, artist Siddiq Khan’s family moved to Canada where he grew up. His artistic career began at an early age when he convinced his parents to buy him a paint-by-numbers kit. By 12 years of age he got a permit to sell his works at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in order to buy more kits. Before arriving in Santa Fe in the US 12 years ago, Siddiq spent time in the interior of British Columbia and Austin, TX. In addition to mixed media works, Siddiq is…

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In honour of the death and life of former President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, the National Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, hosted a photographic exhibition entitled “Chavez Was Here” at Castellani House. The exhibition has on display pictures of the former president interacting with his people, and his visits to Guyana. Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Arratia Diaz, in her remarks noted that 5 February marks one year since the death of Commander Hugo Chavez. “This exhibition pays tribute to President Hugo…

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Part 1 It is not surprising that almost all of the sculptures in the National Collection are made out of wood, arising from the fact that accessibility to material is a necessary criterion for artists and no doubt wood sufficed in this heavily-forested land. It is also evident that sculptures in the National Collection predominantly emulate the human figure, ranging from the representational to the abstract in all manner of expression. The oldest known Guyanese sculptor, Cedric Winter (1902-1974) is yet to be represented in the National Collection. The oldest-dated…

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For Andrew Dos Santos, art is cathartic because through it, he can express his emotions. Developing an intrinsic love for art has propelled the artist to pursue it relentlessly, despite negative notions that art is a dead-end career. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Andrew revealed that he developed an interest in art during childhood. This interest grew into him passionately pursuing art. Consequently, he attended Burrowes School of Art, where he honed his talent and graduated with a diploma in Fine Arts. “Growing up, I always had…

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