By Calvin Roberts

THROUGHOUT history, art has been a unique medium for expressing one’s self. An individual may choose to translate his or her inner thoughts by means of a magnificent painting, sculpture, or some other amazing work of art.

In this modern age, it would seem that less emphasis is being placed on self-expressing art, primarily amongst young people. There are a few, however, who despite the many challenges, have defied the odds and charged on with their brush or rasp in hand.

Alex Anthony Blair is no exception. This youngster who is just 18 years old, hails from the quiet community of Vergenoegen, on the East Bank of Essequibo. Alex, who is better known to many as “Flexx,” has grown quite popular over the years for his marvellous paintings, and just recently started working in tie-dye.

To most who may know this intriguing young man, he may appear to be somewhat shy. Nevertheless, his paintings are quite reflective of the person he is on the inside; giving us a glimpse of his beliefs. In one of his paintings titled, “the dream world”, a single tree that appears to stand under two conditions is illustrated. In the first condition, the tree painted appears to be withered under darkness and negative energy. In contrast, the tree appears to be flourishing under light and positive energy.

During an interview with this publication, Alex explained the piece by saying, “It’s an abstract painting done from my imagination of the two main aspects of life/art ‘darkness and light.’ It was my idea of I guess you could say heaven and hell, showing that there is a thin line between righteousness and unrighteousness and the two can easily mix. If you look closely at the painting you will see that the root from in the dark is crossing over to the light.”

As Alex reflected on his early days in art; he explained that he had developed a liking for drawings and paintings from a tender age. “I was a child who always had pencils and crayons in my hands; I can remember trying to draw everything I saw around me. I always drew for the fun of it.”

Like any caring parent, Alex said that his mother and father always complimented his drawings, even though at times they never looked like the ideal object he intended to draw. Their encouraging words he said, motivated him to develop a compelling love for art.

For the majority of us, as we grow older, our love for painting and drawing may dwindle. Alex, on the other hand, explained that as he grew older, so did his love for art deepen. “I then went on to further my secondary education at Leonora Secondary School. There, I realised artistry was more than just drawings. I then decided to challenge myself and did my first painting. I was only 15 when I painted an Oasis. The responses I’ve got from both my teachers and classmates were overwhelming. I was even surprised at my work. The feeling was surreal,” explained Alex.

Alex said that during his journey through high school, he was privileged to have met two amazing friends, Shanice Wilson and Seon Babb; two intelligent minds like himself, who both shared the love for art. In 2018, Alex graduated as the best Visual Arts student and was even named the best performer for Visual Arts in his region. “I was overjoyed, but yet I remained humble for my hard work had finally paid off.”

The 18-year-old continues to excel in his art, now that he has recently defied the challenge of tie-dying. “Well, I wasn’t actually into tie-dye that long. I always saw it as a challenge that I needed to surpass.”

Today, Alex looks forward to doing much more with his art, now that he is a part of a support team; the Queens of Queens [QOQ] and Kings of Kings [KOK] family. “My successful journey thus far could not have been possible without my support team,” he said. While some may turn to other means of self-expression, Alex noted that he will continue to express himself through even more creative art pieces in the future.