Postcards From Paradise: Up-and-Coming Artists in The Cayman Islands
Only 22 miles long and eight miles wide, Grand Cayman has long been coveted for its famed stretch of white-sand beaches, 300-plus days of sunshine and world-class snorkeling and diving. Outside the laid-back barefoot vibe, however, you’ll also find plenty of culture and arts. Surely, the Cayman-born artist and curator Chris Christian knows a thing or two about this. After all, since 2005, he’s been the visual powerhouse behind the popular The Art Gallery at the Ritz-Carlton, whose walls often showcase rotating exhibits and fresh talent. Just below, Komos uncovers a burgeoning crop of up-and-coming Caymanian artists making a splash.
By David Bridgeman
In 1987, the British born artist David Bridgeman moved to the Cayman Islands. Fascinated by landscape, his work explores his Caribbean life and that of his childhood home of Oxfordshire.
By Al Ebanks
Meanwhile, the uber-local artist Al Ebanks works in a self-described “twist of abstract and impressionism.” He’s also a large-scale sculptor and a founding member of the Native Sons Art Group, a group of artists established in 1996 to promote Caymanian artists.
by Shane Nobee Edwards
by Shane Nobee Edwards
A nature lover, the artist Shane Nobee Edwards was born in George Town and became deeply inspired by photography; notably fishing and the simple beauty of Caymanian life. “I seek out and capture the moments of beauty we easily miss,” says Edwards.
By Ren Seffer
Since the mid-90s, Australian-born Ren Seffer has been living in Grand Cayman where her self-taught aesthetic blends abstract expressionism with whimsical figures.
By Julie Corsetti
Also part of the up-and-comers is Julie Corsetti who arrived in Cayman and began taking underwater photographs as a Scuba Diving Instructor. Corsetti specializes in landscape and lifestyle photos.
by Nandhini Balasubramani
The artist Nandhini Balasubramani taught herself how to paint at eighteen and today, likes to say she’s an abstract realist painter –primarily influenced by travel and cinematography.
By Shilpa Tagalpallewar
Also on the emerging scene and hailing from India, you’ll find Shilpa Tagalpallewar, is clearly influenced by the colors of native flora and fauna, not to mention, windswept seascapes and native wildlife.
Of course, for those looking for a break from the sun, the well-curated National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, founded in 1996, is home to local and international artists, alongside a permanent collection and eight rotating exhibitions a year. Stroll the property’s lush gardens – including one dedicated solely to sculpture. Alternatively, check the programming as satellite art exhibits frequently pop up. For instance, Little Cayman Museum, currently features black-and-white National Archive photographs from 1910-1960; and centered around simple island pastimes (thru June 7th). Nearby, the Cayman Bach Brac Beach Resort hosts Home and Hearth including several watercolors from the Visual Artists Society from artists like Maureen Anderson Berry and Janet Walker.
By Janet Walker
Set on a prime stretch of Seven Mile Beach, the luxury beachside hotel Palm Heights hosts an ongoing artist residency for painters, writers and sculptures, and has featured artists such as Brooklyn-based Dina Nur Satti (ceramics) and Gabe Stone Shayer (a soloist at New York’s American Ballet Theatre). And that’s not all: each summer, Cayman Art Week is spread over 35 sites, and showcases pop-up galleries inside a sprinkling of local resorts and restaurants, alongside guided museum tours, studio tours, discussions, and of course, parties.
