PREDOMINATED by the work of self-taught sculptors who have developed entirely within these shores, the exhibition titled ‘An exhibition of Sculpture from the National Collection’ on at Castellani House includes several important works that have not until now been seen by a large number of people.

Acting Curator, Ohene Koama conjectures that almost all the sculpture in the National Collection is made out of wood, arising from the fact that accessibility to material is an imperative for artists and no doubt wood sufficed in this heavily forested land. He also notes that it is also evident that sculpture in the National Collection predominantly emulates the human figure, ranging from representation in the abstract to realism.
He points out that the oldest known Guyanese sculpture, Cedric Winter (1902-1974) is yet to be represented in the National Collection, noting that the oldest dated sculpture in the National Collection is ‘Spirit Guide’ done by self-taught artist, Philip Moore (1921-2012) referred to as the doyen of the Guyanese art world. This piece was carved in 1947, almost two decades after the first Guyanese exhibition in 1929 during the colonial period. Moore unlike many other artists carved his niche from the onset, producing a body of work unmatched in the sculptural arena in Guyana. While infused with spiritual motivation and self realisation of his African homeland – a place where he never set foot – his sculpture embodies Guyanese mythology, folklore and Creole culture.
Philip Moore was among those exhibiting with the British Guiana Arts and Craft Society (BGACS) in the late 1940s. The grand exhibition in 1931 organised by the Barbadian artist living in Guyana, Goldie White, nurtured an art group, comprised of locals and foreigners. The group staged annual Christmas art exhibitions and eventually gave birth to the Guyanese Art Group (GAG) in 1944.
The exhibition also shows off the work of acclaimed “father of Guyanese Art” E.R Burrowes (d.1966), also of Barbadian heritage, who left the BGACs and formed the Working Peoples Art Class (WPAC) in 1948 which existed for almost two decades until 1961. It was the first group of its kind that was structured in a way geared towards an art education process.
During this time, the group members excelled, earning scholarships in Europe. While they were all painters, a few attempted sculpture, including E.R. Burrowes whose alabaster miniature sculpture ‘Pomona’ in the National Collection is truly a treasure. Burrowes after returning from European scholarships pursuing studies in art, had developed his sculptural techniques to an extent that allowed him to execute large work such as the monument to the labour leader Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow.

Other members noted by Koama include Stanley Greaves b. 1934) and Dennis Williams (d. 1938). ‘Standing Figure,’ which in the National Collection exemplifies the cool excellence that typifies both his sculptural and painterly work. William who studied painting later went on to broaden his area of studies when he went on to broaden his area of studies when he pioneered the fields of archaeology and anthropology in Guyana. William however, continued the trend of art groupings when he founded the E.R. Burrowes School of Art in 1975, which still function as a formal institution responsible for the output of outstanding sculptors.
The self-taught sculptor Campton Paris (1920s to 1980s) like Philip Moore also enjoyed participating in the BGAs during the 1940s. His sculptures in the National Collection, exemplified by his relief series of Caribbean writers, tell clearly of his interest in representational imagery which prevailed during his time especially among painters. Abstract art was not an option for him.
Gary Thomas (b. 1952) came onto the scene during the exciting period that began at the end of the 1960s and saw Guyana becoming a republic in 1970 and the birth of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) in 1972.
Using the human form as the basis for distortion and variation combined with the technique of holing and a smooth finish, Thomas was able to create dynamic compositions and movement in wood such as in his piece ‘Retrogression’.
Among those influenced by Thomas is the remarkable Sealey Family- father, four brothers, one sister and a brother-in-law of the third son Andre Sealey. The largest known artist/sculpting family in Guyana, they are all completely self- taught except for the sister who went on to formal training at the Burrowes School of Art.
Omalwale Lamumba (d. 1996) a master of design in the neo-primitive style worked alongside Gary Thomas. Winston Strick (b. 1942) artist of the era of Gary Thomas and Omalwale Lumumba studied Architectural Drafting and Fine Arts in the U.S.A. His subjects ranged from simple dignified genre and figure studies to landscapes all with an emphasis on abstraction.
Ivor Thom (b. 1954), whose carved wooden sculpture ‘Pregnant Woman’ in the National Collection is comparable to his later achievements in bronze, returned from scholarship in Cuba after studying bronze casting. He has since received commissions for public monuments in bronze – all cast within these shores.
Winslow Craig is an incredibly gifted sculptor whose major task ‘Discovery’ for his BSA graduation is an impeccable achievement boasting the formalities of European Classical Art. This trait has remained a hallmark of his work although he has moved on to create astonishing pieces in other materials including metal.
At BSA Craig had come under the tutelage of Cuban –born Josefa Tomayo 9b. 1958) who has lived for most of her life in Guyana tutoring in sculpture reflecting Guyanese landscape and also her more European heritage.
The sculpture of Desmond Ali took form from his solid belief that art can be in the forefront of a freedom struggle, and from his contact with pre-Columbian art and artifacts. Having travelled most of South America on foot, Ali came back revitalised and revolutionised his concept of content and form. High sculpture took on the appearance of high relief of rigid geometrical form and shape which he defines as ‘flat in the round’ as exemplified in his ‘Patria Libre O Morir’ (Free Homeland or Death). His involvement and observation of the political scene of the latter part of the 1970s greatly inspired the content of his work.
The Lokono sculptor Oswald Hussein (b. 1954), who benefitted from the acquaintance with BSA, came from a rich cultural background of the indigenous peoples, while they engaged in basket, canoe and pot making, were never seen as sculptors. Winning the sculpture prize in the National Visual Arts Competition with ‘Massasekere’ in 1989, and later in 1993 with ‘Wedgely,’ Hussain became the model for a rich vein of indigenous sculptors such as Lynus Clenkian, Roland Taylor, Foster Simon and Valentine Stoll, all with a desire to rekindle their cultural heritage, who dominated the art scene during the 1990s with their sculpture.
Koama noted that although it was the repatriation of Dennis Williams painting ‘Human World’ by public spirited citizens in the 1950s that started the National Collection, the success story of sculpture in the National Collection can be equally matched to that of painting.
This contribution has too often been overlooked and unrecognised, but sculptors from Guyana’s beginning have made a profound contribution to Guyana’s art history. “The journey of sculpture in Guyana and in the National Collection has only just begun”. The exhibition continues until Saturday March 29, 2014.
By Michelle Gonsalves