Despite their numerical superiority over any other ethnic group and their potent commitment to Guyanese nationhood, East Indians in Guyana have remained generally aloof from the mainstream of creative expression in the arts.”

He further went on to a posit, that except for a few individuals, East Indians, like the Chinese, Portuguese and Amerindians had “made no distinguishing contribution to the creative arts”.

No doubt, these observations were made partly because of the complete absence of work representing the Indian-Guyanese imagination from that premiere Regional exposition of the Arts, then taking place in Jamaica.

It should be noted, historically, that East Indian artists were active in the earliest organisations of artists, the ‘Arts and Crafts Society’ founded by British expatriate amateurs in 1929 and the first nationalist ‘Guianese Art Group’ founded in the 1940’s. According to Williams East Indian artist David Singh, along with E.R. Burrowes, Hubert Moshett and Vivian Antrobus, was a foundation member of the ‘Arts and Craft Society’ as well as a member of the ‘Guianese Art Group’ which comprised professionals from among ‘Africans, East Indians, Portuguese, British and persons of mixed origin.

A cursory glance at the art scene in the 60’s and 70’s would reveal besides David Singh, such names as Cyril Kanhai, Keith Khan, Chinapen, Suresh Hanoman, Maurice Khan and Jai Nauth.

How then, did Denis Williams arrive at these astonishing conclusions in 1976?

The reason, of course, for Indian invisibility in the ‘mainstream,’ as any student of Guyana’s political history would know, is bound up with the racial, political and cultural polarisation which reached a new peak with the emergence of the most repressive authoritarian regime in the Anglophone Caribbean. Significantly, by the mid 70’s when Denis Williams has penning his story of the history of contemporary art - From Colonial to Revolutionary Art - he had become one of the principal ideologues of the Guyanese Socialist revolution.

The nexus, therefore between Indian invisibility/marginalisation and the ethno-cultural political hegemony - called the ‘Socialist’ revolution or perhaps synonymous with it - would not have been seen, much less admitted, by Williams. Williams, incidentally throughout the 70’s and 80’s charted the course of ‘mainstream’ art: dictated what constituted the ‘mainstream,’ determined what constituted the ‘national’ patrimony, who represented Guyana at regional/international exhibitions and above all, who was represented in the National Collection…….

But this, of course, is all history which should perhaps be swept under the carpet - but for the fact that since that era, both the National Collection (founded in 1950 and now housed at Castellani House) and state sponsored exhibitions showcasing Guyanese art at home and abroad, have continued to represent the talent and sensibility of the Indian Guyanese artist through a mere tokenistic or marginal presence. But again, this should perhaps be swept under the carpet.

This exhibition consequently seeks to acknowledge the artists, unknown and unsung, who remained “aloof from the mainstream,” who fell into that abyss of non-recognition or joined the exodus of people fleeing abroad.

Deserving too, of critical attention are those popular landscape painters, outside of the mainstream, whose works have consoled and kept alive the spirit and humble homes of Guyanese across the racial spectrum.

More importantly, this exhibition pays homage to an unrecognised current of traditional art, sustained through the decades by a significant number of craftsmen and women who, like their anonymous counterparts in the medieval ages, have continued to produce an indispensable range of artifacts for mandirs, festivals, rituals, and other ceremonial occasions.

This traditional art - its icons, artifacts and religious symbology - has provided the visual models and traditions which have influenced the artists represented in this exhibition. Philbert Gajadhar, Betsy Karim, Bernadette Persaud and Amerindian-Indian artist, Desmond Alli have all drawn their inspiration from the non-European, rich visual culture of Indian Guyanese: from the Jhandi flags and gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon of Persaud, Gajadhar and Alli, to the synthesis of the Hindu-Muslim symbology of Betsy Karim.

Though modest in scope this exhibition brings together, for the first time, a body of work, which demonstrates the distinctive nuances of sensibility and imagination of these artists who all emerged in the 1980’s. Importantly, their work not only reflects a rich ancestral legacy, but also engages current issues of race, identity, politics and the existential dilemmas and pain of our present situation.
(Bernadette Indira Persaud is Artist/Senior Lecturer, University of Guyana)

TODAY we feature pictures of two of the paintings that are among works displayed under the theme, “Under the Seventh Sun” at the Berbice Campus of the University of Guyana. The art exhibition was organised to coincide with the International Conference of the Indian Diaspora.