I HAVE always been fascinated by persons with the ability to turn raw materials into a masterpiece. It’s one of the reasons I became an artist. We create representations of our beliefs, morals, traditions, myths, creativity and our perception of the world. What we possess is more than just talent. It’s power! The power to influence national identity. And with great power comes even greater responsibility, as the saying goes. Artists are responsible for visually documenting history and making statements that represent the people within the society in which they live. National identity is rooted in a nation’s ability to distinctively represent themselves through traditions, culture, and language; all of which are important to any country’s development.

The Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) is a biennial event that started in Guyana in 1972. It came after Guyana became Independent in 1966 and a Republic in 1970. CARIFESTA stems from the need to define our identity as a freed nation. It unites all of the arts which includes the visual, literary, culinary and the performing arts. CARIFESTA aims to depict the similarities and differences of the people of the Caribbean in an environment in which art can flourish. The event encourages artists across the Caribbean to display their talents beyond their national borders. They return to their homeland with an awaken regional identity.

Guyana is blessed with a wellspring of artists who have done a fantastic job in creating works that represent who we are as a diverse nation. Over the years, these artists have represented Guyana across the Caribbean and beyond. Some artists include Bernadette Persaud, Philbert Gajadhar, Oswald Hussein, Shimuel Jones, Betsy Karim, Ivor Thom, Jorge Bowen-Forbes, Michael Griffith and others, too numerous to mention. Guyana is well known as the country with the largest contingency at CARIFESTA. What can I say? Our talent surpasses all others.

For the 14th staging of the festival, Trinidad and Tobago was selected as the host country. The activities and events will occur from August 16-25. As usual, many artists look forward to the opportunity of promoting their arts and culture abroad. I can safely say that once again Guyana is well represented.

In 2015, I was selected to be a part of the Visual Arts Contingency for CARIFESTA XII in Haiti. It was a tremendous opportunity to assist in curating the art exhibition of works by Guyanese and Haitian artist in a common space. What stood out in my experience was the noticeable difference in the culture among Caribbean people. We are far more diverse than many people are cognizant of. The styles and techniques I saw on display give a deeper understanding of artist awakening regional and national identity. I am excited to see what our artist will create upon their return.

And while many of us are unable to join the folks in Trinidad and Tobago we can take advantage of the recent exhibition at the National Gallery; Castellani house. The works displayed in this column are from the GVACE. However, they are pieces produced by artists who had works on display at past CARIFESTA. These images are a glance at how our Guyanese artist represent our regional identity. The 2019 Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition runs until the 24th of August. Be sure to visit while you still can.