Veteran artist celebrating 80 with exhibition

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is partnering with a veteran visual artist, with over 50 years’ experience, to showcase a collection that captures the essence of the Barbadian landscape.

“ONE BIG PAINTING: Alison Chapman-Andrews – 80 Years of Seeing”, will open at the Queen’s Park Gallery on Saturday, April 15, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The opening reception is free for the public.

Chapman-Andrews has been a fixture of the Barbadian art scene for over 50 years. Her perseverance, vivacity, unique way of seeing and prolific work ethic have produced an astounding oeuvre of work, displaying an unmistakable style that has, among many other things, come to typify the iconic image of Barbadian life.

Born Alison Armstrong in England, she is a native of Hertford, and studied from 1963 to 1966 at the Royal College of Art, receiving the ARCA Award for her painting.Chapman-Andrews moved to Barbados in 1971 and began painting the local landscape, which has since become central to her work. During her career she has worked as a teacher, curator and newspaper columnist as well as an artist, and in 2006 she received the Governor General’s Award for her work.

This exhibition treats the viewers to an exceptional experience. It gives access to the inner workings of the artist’s mind and process through this look at her illustrious career, categorised by concepts, imagery and motifs according to her own powerful vision for a retrospective.

In this display, Chapman-Andrews defines her practice on her own terms, with a purposeful sense of wisdom and agency. The show also commemorates her 80th birthday – a day she celebrated on November 30, 2022, alongside the island’s 56th year of Independence and our first year as a Republic.

As Barbados continues to make bold moves culturally and historically, the NCF is proud to uplift and honour the stalwarts of our creative community, ensuring their legacies are firmly in place and made visible for current and future generations to engage with. As we salute her past and future contributions to our nation, we invite you to explore the extensive canvas of her creative journey!

The exhibition will run from April 16 to May 13, 2023, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturday, April 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gallery, there will be a roundtable talk with the artist moderated by the show’s guest curator Katherine Kennedy and featuring art historian and curator Dr. Allison Thompson and visual artist Ras Akyem-i Ramsay as co-discussants. (PR)