UG Creative Arts Department hosts exhibition

EIGHT young women from the University of Guyana’s Creative Arts Department through a grand art exhibition on Monday wowed the public with their imaginative creations centred on the theme: ‘From the ashes, we rise’.

With the collaborative efforts of the university and the Castellani House National Gallery of Art, the women proved their talents to artistically interpret the beauty of the Caribbean through their paintbrushes and hands.
Present at the Castellani House were numerous paintings as well as sculptures which attracted the viewing of members of the public and well-wishing family and friends of the artists.

Of the eight artists representing the University was final year student, Elodie Cage-Smith who was chosen as the exhibition’s featured artist having seniority in her craft and wide understanding of art.
Through her work, she aimed to express the region’s history and in her statement said: “Our dark but rich history is the canvas upon which the kaleidoscopically diverse culture of our beautiful Caribbean has been painted.”

Elodie, who is a Martinique national now living in Guyana, had 23 pieces on display. She also created a video presentation which captured a merge of the theme and the empowerment of Caribbean people.
The other artists on show included: Keeta Robertson with her pieces evoking nostalgia; Rayann Darrell and her colourful patterned art and Chelsea Ramotar who captured the innocence of our time.

Works were present too by Keisha Beharry with her mysterious paintings; Alvina Naughton and her depiction of passion and peace; Shaquana Cummings with her abstract reality paintings and Akeena Mendonca with her interpretation of fictional gardens.
Remarks at the event came from UG’s Vice Chancellor, Ivelaw Griffith who said that it is important for the Arts to be “supported and propelled” in the country, for the benefit of the exceptionally creative in society.

He encouraged the audience to not only enjoy the products of the artists but to support their trade while he called on members of the community to double efforts to pass on the tradition of a national focus on the Arts.
“I’d like to encourage people who are from the civic community, from the business community, find a way to support the arts; find a way to support what the university is doing; find a way to buy, not only admire, but purchase, to support in tangible, practical terms,” he said.

Speaking too was Head of the Department of the Language and Cultural Studies, Al Creighton who presented a history of the creative arts in Guyana and commended the research work of the artists to best understand and represent the theme.

In his statement to the gathering, Curator of the Exhibition, Philbert Gajadhar said: “The display of artworks by the students of the University of Guyana is representative of the production of an entire younger generation, who have grown and are growing up attuned to the sort of intensive media coverage that now inspires them to speak,–beyond any irreconcilable cultural peculiarities—in a universal language.”