Jerry Marco’s portrayals through Art By Abigail Brower

ART is not the typical career choice for most money seekers in the Rupununi, but young Jerry Marco has become an exception in his community.  The budding artist whose work predominantly centres on painting and sculpture has recently showcased his collection at an exhibition at the National Art Gallery, Castellani House. Born in 1998 and raised in an extended family in the Wowetta Village of the Rupununi, Region Nine, Jerry always had creative tendencies and much of his work incorporates indigenous cultures and traditions.

The young man is known as a versatile artist for his drawings that mostly portray scenes and natural aspects of the Rupununi. He also specialises in realistic portraits of the people in the Wowetta Village. “I love bringing out emotions and expressions of people in my drawings,” he said.The artist earned a Grade Two in Visual Arts at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations in 2014. Faced with deciding what he wanted to study after secondary school, though Jerry was torn between several options, he made a decision in 2015 when he moved to Georgetown to attend the E.R. Burrowes School of Art to enhance his artistic skills. Jerry has done numerous drawings.

The portrait artist explained that the value of his drawing is embedded in the detail and understanding of this subject, adding that capturing a person’s emotions requires a professional skill. But Jerry’s natural creative ability coupled with his academic training, certainly equip him to depict these emotions with much ease.The artist admits that he regularly encountered problems such as lack of art materials, but he credits these challenges as the reason why he became so creative.

“I usually look for other things I can use to make my art work,” he said, adding that he is also grateful for the moral support from his secondary school teacher. Jerry works with different materials like wood, metal, wire, stone and paint to create sculptures and paintings which depict mostly social issues.Driven by the creative passion, the budding artist recently completed his schooling and will be graduating later in September. He is determined to launch his creative career in and around Guyana.

Although his own creative work is outstanding, Jerry is inspired by local artist George Simon and Compton Babb.In his spare time, apart from indulging in sport, Jerry also mentors young artists in the Rupununi. After graduating, he plans to return to his home in the Rupununi permanently.  “It’s difficult to find a place to rent and being able to keep up with the rent,” he said, but more than that, his schooling has led him to notice that many locally-made products were not branded effectively.

This observation has encouraged him to open a small business in the Rupununi and to contribute to the development of art in small villages. Jerry stated, however, that he also has a strong desire to travel Guyana in his quest to further develop his own artistic capabilities.“Rupununi will always be my home.

I have my family who helped shape me into the person I am today,” he said. Apart from his entrepreneurial ambitions, Jerry is adamant that young people holistically should follow their passion and live their dreams. “You want to be a footballer? Even if Guyana doesn’t have the scope in this field, it doesn’t mean you have to throw away your dreams,” he said.His works have also been on exhibition at the recent Onhare Indigenous Festival at the Courtyard Mall, in Georgetown.