Amerindian Heritage Month Art Exhibition: Maintaining Indigenous traditions, expressing struggles through art

While it’s often said that “a picture speaks a thousand words”, several Indigenous artists countrywide are using their canvases to express far more than “a mere thousand words” in bringing to light the issues and experiences of their people through art.
Some of these issues relate to pollution and other events that Indigenous people experience daily, thus the Heritage Month Art Exhibition ongoing at Castellani House in Georgetown is being used as the forum for these Indigenous artists to freely express themselves with passion and panache.
Curator of the event, 29-year-old Ms Pekahiah James, in speaking with <Guyana Times> about the powerful messages that are on display through the various paintings and sculptures, related that the main reason behind the exhibition is to afford the artists opportunity to showcase their works with a view to initiate change throughout their hinterland communities.
“The idea of pollution and those types of things are key issues that affect Indigenous communities. However, it is not necessarily that we went out looking for those topics to fit into our themes, but (these are) important (topics) that should be addressed, and the Indigenous artists wanted to…address that, and so we included that,” James explained.

James pointed out that other artists have embraced the opportunity to showcase Indigenous culture by highlighting riveting experiences within hinterland communities. Some art pieces depict how Indigenous people used to hunt in earlier days, and how they would prepare famous cuisines, among other things.
“The idea, overall, is to present work created by Indigenous artists or those of Indigenous descent, as well as work that would speak to the culture of our Indigenous people. So, when we were looking for the works, we looked for works that fit that idea, and we realized that most of the artists are maintaining their traditions,” James explained.

Being curator of an Indigenous art exhibition is no easy task, and James highlighted that pulling off this event has been quite strenuous, especially since most artists are from the hinterland. Thus, it is hoped that patrons would appreciate the artworks being displayed.
“Most of the artists were from the hinterland regions… and we had to go into the Heritage Village to identify the other craft persons and sort of pick out works from their pieces; and then we would’ve asked them to ‘Show us your best pieces,’ show us the ones that represented their craftmanship the best,” Ms James detailed.
All the sectors in Guyana have been showing signs of explosive growth, Ms James declared, and the art-and-culture sector is also showing such signs. She also said this exhibition underscores that Indigenous people are seeking to cultivate their culture.
“I would say (that), considering the economic growth of Guyana, art will always play a role in the preservation of our culture. So, for those nations and those people, the art that is presented here is a representation of their values and their traditions; and, in a way, it is our effort in preserving and passing it on for future generations,” She added.
“In building and selling the works, and in coming to an exhibition like this, you are exposed to a lot of the tradition that you might not be aware of,” Ms James has explained.
This publication has witnessed firsthand that most of the materials used by the artists comprise items naturally occurring within their communities. Among the items on display are baskets, makeshift rain simulator sound items, and indigenous blocks. Included in this year’s exhibition are Amerindian rain sticks which make noises when turned in different directions. Patrons were invited to interact with it, and it was very interactive.
Ms James mentioned what prompted the use of these hands-on materials, and she also said these materials are at times very hard to source.
“In terms of getting the materials for the crafts, I would say that a lot of the artists tend to work with what can be found. So, in some of the craft arts, you can see a lot of natural fibres and woodworking, and that’s how you end up with an artist that is very sculptural, because their works include a lot of natural materials. and so I do not necessarily think that their…most people have a preference for the art that comes out of these areas, because they tend to be very unique, as an artist (is) working with what can be found,” she detailed.
Some of these artists have received formal training at the Burrowes School of Art, or at the University of Guyana, where they learned to create their canvases. Many of the pieces showcased are crafted by the artists themselves, reflecting their dedication and skill in producing original works.
This unique collection not only showcases artistic talent, but also serves as a tribute to the enduring traditions of Guyana’s first peoples.
The exhibition ends on September 30.