– as ‘Mash’ National Art Exhibition opens at Castellani House

SOME 22 stunning metal and mixed-media sculptures by Guyanese sculptor and University of Guyana (UG) Lecturer Winslow Craig, define this year’s Mashramani National Art Exhibition that was unveiled on Thursday at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House.
The exhibition, called ‘A Journey and Exploration of Forms in Metal,’ contains several pieces repatriated from New Zealand, where Craig pursued graduate studies in the early 1990s as part of a Commonwealth Arts and Craft Award.

Craig donated the repatriated pieces, along with several others on display, to the National Gallery.

Curator of the Gallery, Ohene Koama, commended the pieces, noting that while metal is not often an easy material to work with, Craig has proven what beauty could be derived once the craft is mastered.

“When he was in New Zealand, he did some pieces there, but when he came back he couldn’t afford to bring them back, so we undertook the cost to bring them back, and we displayed them here along with other pieces,” Koama said, adding:
“These sculptures, they explore a wide variety of subject matter. We don’t really have much sculpture. The last show we had in sculpture was by Winslow Craig in 2007, so we always welcome sculptures. And the thing is, in Guyana, the dominant material for sculpture is wood, because when it comes to metal now you have to be particular. “Winslow has been experimenting with a wide array of materials and experimenting with subject matter which is amazing. He has never limitted himself.”
Craig explained that he decided to begin work with metal as a way of pushing his skill and challenging himself.

“I can bend and twist wood to my will, but I am the kind of artist who ever so often gets bored doing the same thing. So when the opportunity came around and I was able to take up the fellowship, I thought I would explore some other medium. It so happened that New Zealand provided that. Metal was a very unfamiliar medium, and I took a few weeks to study the medium and understand it’s characteristics. And, as an artist, I took advantage of that,” the distinguished Guyanese artist said.

Delivering the feature address at the exhibition’s opening ceremony was Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, who commended Craig’s creative capabilities.

“Craig is one of Guyana’s most talented and well-decorated, self-taught sculptors, known for the intricacies of his work. As we all know, the art of sculpting requires a certain skill set that includes patience, discipline and a creative vision and a sprinkle of ingenuity. It is no doubt that Mr. Craig has these qualities, which has enabled him to captivate all audiences,” Dr Norton said.