Art Under Lockdown

March 2020
Mixed media on wooden board framed

Artist Statement:

“On Day 1 of lockdown I started my first recycled self portrait. The idea was to only use items I found in my home during the lockdown: stickers, magazines, fast food boxes, plastic wrappers, and comics. The toilet paper roll at the top is to be made into a scroll based on the outcome of this pandemic. It will read one of two things: ‘I live – I survived Covid-19 2020’ or ‘I die – Marc Laurenson 26/06/88 to…’ One of the great qualities of this portrait is that it shows iconic images of our time: from SpongeBob SquarePants and Popeye’s chicken to characters from the Simpsons. In years to come some of the images seen in this portrait will be outdated or vintage, but will also show our way of life in 2020; much like a time capsule.”

June 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“I wanted to capture the feeling of emptiness and abandonment that we’ve all seen during lockdown. The CCTV, still on, is recording no one. I’m also interested in how gas stations look practically the same all over the world. This one reminds me very much of the ‘On The Run’ Esso station in Industrial Park that I visited every day before lockdown. I was also keen to paint something that at first might not seem beautiful – there are so many beach scenes and sunset paintings out there that I felt maybe we didn’t need another one.”

May 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“This pandemic has affected us on a global scale – it knows no boundaries, culture, or nationality. The irony is that despite this, we have somehow found a common ground in which we all connect globally.”

Gouldbourne’s image perfectly captures the human side of the pandemic: both the multiplicity of our distinct identities, as well as our shared humanity.

April 2020
Ink and watercolour

Artist Statement:

“This piece was inspired and created during the Covid-19 lockdown period in Grand Cayman. As I had travelled in April, I had two weeks of self-isolation upon returning home, and then the government began our island-wide curfew and mandatory isolation. I painted this piece, as well as other watercolours and acrylics, during this time. As an artist, I felt blessed to be creating, although very much alone except for social media.”

April 2020
Watercolour

Artist Statement:

“This piece references Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man (c.1490), which symbolised the marriage of art and mathematics during the Italian Renaissance – relating man to nature and the workings of the universe. I was inspired to revisit this iconic work in the current moment, and to clothe him in coronavirus protective clothing.”

June 2020
Acrylic on board

Executed in the artist’s characteristic style, Long has chosen to depict a scene devoid of action: a spare and empty shoreline punctuated by two figures who face one another under the shade of a poinciana tree. Despite the inviting colours of the water in the background, the sea appears removed and inaccessible, like a mirage that is tantalizingly out of reach, as it was for several weeks under the government’s strict shelter in place regulations. Further reinforcing the sense of isolation, the figures stand notably apart— a space of six feet or more that represents the new protocols of social distancing.

April 2020
Digital photograph

Artist Statement:

“The small series of digital photographs was made by documenting items that disappeared from the shelves in a local grocery store in Kent, Ohio, when panic buying was occurring in the community towards the end of March 2020. I found the circumstances for panic buying to be abnormal to witness within the US and wondered what parts of our inner personalities might promote behaviours which lead us to panic buy. Afterwards, I created projections that were crafted in part from hand-drawn transparencies and from cast shadows by high-demand items to display an alter ego for myself. An alter ego that might participate in panic buying.”

May 2020
Charcoal on paper
Student submission

Artist Statement:

“For the final project of my college art class, I created a series of drawings over time of my sister, Willow, keeping herself occupied in our house during full lockdown. Since all my art supplies were left at college during this time, I had to make do without compressed charcoal, which I normally would use in my drawings.”

April 2020
Oil on canvas

Artist Statement:

“‘God’s eyes’ is a metaphor to describe life during the pandemic. For the first time in my generation all beaches were closed and there was a total lockdown on Easter weekend – a traditional Caymanian camping weekend. The artwork explores the idea of a conspiracy by the unseen virus, which has caused a global lockdown, including here in our beloved Cayman Islands. Our life as we know it became alien. Only through ‘God’s eyes’, or through my imagination, could I enjoy the ocean that I naturally would glance at on my day-to-day commute.”

April 2020
Mixed media paper, carton, wood, and acrylic

Artist Statement:

“I like to focus on portraits depicting emotions, and in my most recent work I wanted to enhance the intensity of the thoughts during this time. Warm and vibrant colours carefully cut from magazines and comics arranged into collages resembling a young woman, or various scenes and shapes – some showing love, others desperation and wonder. As a resident in the Cayman Islands, there’s a lot to take into consideration, but one thing is for certain, our community is diverse and strong, we will work together to overcome this crisis by maintaining our optimism and resilience.”

March 2020
Mixed media thread and canvas

Artist Statement:

“I created this dress using thread and canvas and hand-stitched the design on the skirt. The full dress was put together with the help of my mom and sisters, who added in the little details and sewed the parts together. This was my first year in university abroad, and since I had to come home just before the lockdown, I had to finish my courses here. I decided to do some art as a stress-relieving hobby and had a lot of fun seeing the whole thing come together!”

May 2020
Mixed media fibreglass, extruded polystyrene, glass, paper, and digital application

Artist Statement:

“I created this work from one of my existing pieces by adding elements. Change happens when existing structures or habits break. In those moments when it feels like everything falls apart, we find the wisdom we would never find when we are on top of things. Humans have an immensely strong ability to imagine the worst-case scenario. What if we would use our imagination to dream a better way of being?”

June 2020
Digital drawing

Artist Statement:

“This piece is called Phases as I kind of see some crazy moons in it, as we’ve been having a lot this past year, over a background of change. I feel like we have had so many ‘phases’ this year, and this piece expresses that to me. The colours are bold and vivid, and a mix of dark and bright, as I feel this whole year has been.”

April 2020
Tinted resin

Artist Statement:

“When you think of the Cayman Islands, people come here for the beaches, the blue skies and the luscious scenery. The residents love it because all of that is at our fingertips. Then suddenly it is taken away from us, restrictions are put in place to protect us from the spread of Covid-19. I created my art piece using tinted resin, and there are different shades of blues and greens depicting the sea, sky, and greenery of the Cayman Islands. As they say – you don’t know what you have until it has been taken away. The artwork is soothing and pleasing to the eyes, and I have a little bit of Cayman in my home.”

May 2020
Acrylic wash on canvas

During the lockdown, the artist’s exercise time included a walk to the docks in South Sound. The rhythm of this activity continued from days into weeks, then months. Her reward was a look at the empty sea – lonely, forlorn, and absent of any human activity. Only the healing sounds of the birds and crashing waves provided feelings of relief. This seascape expresses that image and mood. Monochromatic, with frugal use of paint applied in a wash. The waves contain glimmers of light breaking the monotony and feelings of suppression.

April 2020
Reclaimed canvas, oil, and spray paint

Artist Statement:

“I have been painting with oil paints for about 10 years. My subject matter is always taken from photos that I have personally taken, and mostly underwater photos of fish and other critters. The inspiration for this painting is an underwater photograph I took and the orange and blue just pop–I love the texture and depth of all his jelly-ness! I love the simplicity of painting with only black and white, but this guy was too great to pass up. Morgan and I have been doing joint work for about two and a half years now. He has extensive experience with spray paint art and makes the backdrop for my critters, and the blend of our talents is a pretty surrealistic outcome.”

May 2020
Quilled paper

Artist Statement:

“To maintain some resemblance of normalcy in my life during this lockdown, I continue to create art pieces. This work was inspired while taking a walk one early morning. Hearing the birds chirping and seeing them fly brought about a calm relaxing feeling, which is what I depicted in this quilled work of art.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas
Student submission (age 17)

Artist Statement:

“I have been actively painting my bedroom during lockdown (much to my parents’ horror). This painting, however, is the most meaningful. My sister’s horse in All About Mae, otherwise known as ‘Mae’, died two days before her birthday, in the UK, after a horrific and unexpected accident. Being on the other side of the world, there was nothing we could do, and my sister was heartbroken. I created this portrait of her horse as a birthday present. It took around six hours, and I completed it at just about midnight before her birthday.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas board

Artist Statement:

“I started painting during the pandemic on the weekends when we couldn’t go to the beach and were locked in on Sundays. This particular painting was inspired by a photograph I found of fishermen in Myanmar. There was something mesmerising about the powerfully strong reflections on the water which drew me to this particular image.”

May 2020
Oil on canvas

Artist Statement:

“I have to admit that this painting has taken ages to complete. I totally lost my creative streak during the lockdown. I couldn’t produce anything, and my entire family was painting around me (using all my materials I might add). One weekend in May we had over 12 hours of rain in just one day. I had run out of household chores and had to face my demons. Out came the oil paints and I finally got to finish my daughter’s portrait.”

April 2020
Digital photograph

Artist Statement:

“With no pool services during lockdown, I picked up a net to clean our pool. After discovering the beautiful pattern of the flowers in the water I decided to grab my camera instead. I think it looks like a piece of fabric. There is always beauty to be found in nature!”

May 2020
Acrylic on canvas
Student submission (age 15)

Artist Statement:

“Created on lockdown Sundays during May. I found a photograph in an incredible book on Living Africa. The colours were so amazing I wanted to paint it. The purples were particularly tricky to capture, especially with a lack of ready supplies. Fortunately, Office Supply opened for delivery and I could get some more paint to finish the work.”

March 2020
Mixed media acrylic

Artist Statement:

“My painting is a self-portrait about my personal relationship with Covid-19 during isolation: a love-hate relationship. Hating this entity that could cause devastation in so many lives, yet loving isolation and the calm creativity it brought. I wanted to portray the intensity of emotions in the face, and also the power of the artist to create and overcome whatever situation we find ourselves in.”

April 2020
Mixed media on card

Artist Statement:

“As an artist in the middle of the last year of the degree programme at the Glasgow School of Art, lockdown caused such disappointment, not just for me but for 600 other students as well. We were preparing for our final degree show, the one thing that we had worked towards over the past four years. We were also just getting over the disappointment of not having the show in the iconic Mackintosh building in Glasgow, which was completely destroyed by fire for the second time in 2018. Working from home I have been busy preparing for the online degree show, as well as setting about making a space outside to make sculptural work. I have also helped to convert a small garden shed where I am currently producing small works and drawings to explore ideas. My drawings reflect the objects that I’ve collected since I’ve been home: an old water pump, boat fittings, and some old aircraft fuselage sections. For me, it’s just a matter of continuing to keep working and making art to get through this difficult time.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“Cadence of Your Heartbeat was the first artwork I produced while in lockdown. Not having much time to create in the past 18 months, the lockdown initially came as a welcome forced sabbatical for me. Once I had had a month of rest and recovery, I started to paint. I created this after much soul-searching and self-discovery about freedom, control, truth, and lies surrounding the Covid-19 shelter-in-place situation. I realised what a free spirit I am and that the rules, forced queuing, heavy police presence, and separation from other humans went against every fibre of my being. I decided to find solace in prayer and the spiritual. Cadence of Your Heartbeat was a very spontaneous painting that flowed. It is about joy, abundance, wild abandonment that can be found within, no matter our external circumstances.”

May 2020
Plastic lid and beadwork

Artist Statement:

“Built on a disposable plastic guacamole lid, Perlage et Plastique explores time and value: the time it takes to create, and the value we place on the work; the time the plastic lid will take to decompose, and by the same token the value we place on everyday plastics. Hand-sewn elements reference organic forms and haute couture beadwork. I see the work as a visual metaphor for wealth built on questionable foundations – a wealth with no true purpose. Perlage et Plastique is one of a series of six such lids I have created since the lockdown began.”

April 2020
Watercolour on paper

Artist Statement:

“He swims alone quietly gliding through the Cayman waters. The water is warm, clear, and calm. His flippers moving slowly, effortlessly as he searches for his favourite delicacy – ‘the perfect sponge’ – but always on the lookout for jellyfish, sea urchins, and barnacles. He notices an enormous unfamiliar silence. This silence feels strange, lonely, isolated, and peaceful yet echoes loudly – something’s wrong! Has man totally disappeared? Will I get to see man again and be able to once again show him my beautiful world?”

May 2020
Oil on canvas

Artist Statement:

“This work is a portrait of my husband’s seven-year-old daughter who lives in South Africa with her Polish mom. There is a very special bond between father and daughter, and it is a very close relationship. With the two of them being so far apart and in lockdown I wanted to bring her closer to him. I tried to capture the warmth and innocence in her young face, and bring her smile and light through. The flowers around her head are part of a traditional Polish outfit and signify purity.”

June 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“My painting is an emotional expression of life and hope during this pandemic that affects both the Cayman Islands and the entire world. Stones are solid minerals, and, in my painting, they represent the union and strength with which we must face the Covid-19 virus. The blow hole represents the spread of this virus. Sometimes its impact is high and sometimes low, but all the while it does not move us, like a nation founded by God on a solid foundation. The roses represent peace and hope; the deep waters and the skies represent the hand of God that holds and surrounds us day by day.”

April 2020
Driftwood, wood board, and acrylic

Artist Statement:

“The inspiration came from one of my many favourite spots on Grand Cayman: Starfish Point. I could only imagine how happy the starfish must be without all the noise from boats, loud music, and tourists in those waters during the Covid-19 lockdown. Seeing them in the beautiful waters always elicits such happiness within my heart, I felt compelled to express it in this driftwood piece. The driftwood found on Cayman’s beaches, along with the blue colours of the Caribbean, have helped me through this difficult time. Until I see them again, I pay tribute to their majestic beauty with this piece.”

June 2020
Debris from collapsed tarmac road, rocks, marble, ballast stones, and red yarn

Artist Statement:

“Every step forward is the sum of a million steps before. This work looks at the path that lies underneath our feet: decisions made, elements considered, every choice from a molecular level contemplated. Everything is interconnected to a unifying source – I, me, it, we, they, them – and all of this is geometrically structured. Now the question is: what next? The answer is infinite possibilities.”

May 2020
Acrylic on paper

Artist Statement:

“Becoming aware that lockdown was imminent I transformed my garden shed at home with the help of my son who has just finished his art degree. We take it in turns to use the space. Although the shed studio is small, I can use the garden fence to hang and work on larger pieces. Supplies are running low, forcing me to focus on making a series of smaller works. As the paints run out, the images become more transparent. I am now focusing on the idea that my world has shrunk, and my paintings reflect the movement to and from the house. The paintings are an expression of my contracted world and everything in it.”

June 2020
Turquoise blue rope, salvaged from sea, coconut spikes, silver thatch spine, and bamboo

Artist Statement:

“The journey towards embracing any state of being is still movement forward, even when seemingly on pause. This work is an invitation to rest your feet and sit in the safe solitude of your spirit. Even the process of creation is healing. Through these works the artist contemplates safe spaces; a mother’s womb, a bird’s nest, a chrysalis, Moses in the reed basket, cradled in the gentle arms of water. Whether forced or chosen, mental or physical, there is space and time to stay a while, in preparation for re-emergence.”

May 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“In March and April 2020 I unexpectedly had time to get creative, but my mind was clouded by dark thoughts and a feeling of unease as the world around us began to change: death, coronavirus, masks, lockdown! In late May, I eventually found a happier place and hope for the future as I painted the tranquil beachfront at Bodden Town entitled New Beginnings!“

March 2020
Acrylic on board

Artist Statement:

“My response to Covid-19 began with sheer panic over impending death by disease, and feelings of grief mixed with the realisation that, in lockdown, I was well and truly alone. So I went to that place where nothing can touch me – painting. I started to write in my blog and increased the frequency of phone calls home to the UK and to my mother in Jamaica, which took on heightened importance. The daily workday was also a place I could escape the news that was screaming of death and illness, and so I immersed myself for nine hours each day in just reaching out to, and working with, my students. However, my days always end in that place of total peace – my art. I have, so far, 18 paintings or pieces of resin-based sculptural work either completed or nearing completion since the beginning of lockdown!”

April 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“While the pandemic is scary, I actually enjoyed the first few weeks of lockdown because it coincided with sea grape season. This brought many birds to the sea grape trees surrounding our yard. White Crowned Pigeons (Bald Paige/Plate), depicted in my painting, were the most prominent as they flew in and out daily for three weeks. Symbolising for me that the world goes on, the birds are still happy and free. As I was ‘stuck’ at home all the time then, as the world slowed down, I actually got to appreciate the beauty in my own backyard.”

June 2020
Digital photograph

Artist Statement:

“Banana orchids (Myrmecophila thomsoniana), like many members of the family, deceive their pollinators, drawing them to the flower only to leave them unrewarded with neither mate nor food. But how exactly they attract the unsuspecting beetle is still not clear. The orchid’s scent and appearance may be an incomplete lure for male Gymnetis lanius. I use photography and video to record beetle behaviour during this Covid-19 year in the confines of my garden, with plants rescued from development land. Most of my work results in images strictly documenting this ecology, but sometimes the weather, light, and beetles align for something much more.”

June 2020
Crayon and ink on paper

Artist Statement:

“My work explores ideas around Covid-19 and our present situation. This piece is entitled Despite Obstacles… Hope. The left side symbolises the virus and what it has left in its wake. The right side represents hope (in the form of the rainbow) and the return to normalcy in our lives in the near future. The banana orchid similarly symbolises Cayman’s beauty and resilience.”

June 2020
Oil on linen panel

Artist Statement:

“This piece began after lockdown, when no permitted use of beaches or ocean was allowed. From our second-floor balcony, we have a lovely view of the ocean. This painting is an attempt to capture the variety of ocean colours dependent upon sunlight, wind, and clouds.”

May 2020
Oil on canvas

Artist Statement:

“This painting of hibiscus flowers in sunlight against a green hedge evokes a sense of energy. The blossoms practically dance, enlivened by the sunbursts through the hedge. The flowers are so real you can practically touch them – as delicate and soft as tissue paper. This boundless exuberance, contrasted by the vulnerable fragility of the flowers, for me evokes a strong passion for life.”

May 2020
Digital photo, computer-generated graphics

Artist Statement:

“With the effects of lockdown and the lack of socialising, I found myself wondering if various symptoms are potentially my ‘corona’ showing or merely allergies being exaggerated. It’s all enough to drive one a lil’ crazy and take this kind of selfie. Subconscious or not, I have inadvertently reignited my curiosity into whether I really do physically manifest this halo of light, as I yet again seem to illustrate myself with another one of these ‘coronas’… a self-portrait of Hell Rd’s very own angel.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“During the first months of the lockdown, I was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the organisation Sail for Climate Action. Away from Internet connection, life at sea was very peaceful, and at the time I was completely unaware of the chaos occurring in the rest of the world. Mooie Dame van de Regina translates to ‘Beautiful Lady of the Regina’, and was painted in the middle of the ocean on a constantly moving ship. I was inspired by the vessel I was sailing in called the Regina Maris, a 1970 three-masted schooner from the Netherlands.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“This piece is from a series of work I started during quarantine that helped me slow down, clear my head, and see things in a different perspective.”

Artist Ren Seffer turns her attention here to the age-old convention of the still life, a recurring subject for artists over the years. Through the more modest ambitions of this intimate genre, the emphasis shifts towards capturing the mundane details of our day-to-day surroundings, instilling an attentiveness of focus that reveals the beauty of everyday life that often goes unnoticed. During the long hours of isolation spent under lockdown, Seffer’s work draws out this heightened sense of introspection shared by many, despite its characteristically exuberant palette.

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“I often choose to create pieces that can be rotated, thus enabling the viewer to enjoy and experience the piece from different perspectives – just like life. Life is persistent, in every environment, and continuously strives to achieve balance. Autonomously doing what is best for life so that life always prevails and flourishes. Again and again, we see examples everywhere: lay pavement down and soft blades will cut quietly through concrete in their simple predestined quest to reach up to the sun. Life abhors a void. Life abhors repression. Life abhors imbalance.”

May 2020
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

Artist Statement:

“The work was based on my explorations into identity and memory. I ask people to reveal personal information, as well as preferences, in order to understand their unique perspective. Then I develop source materials, sometimes juxtaposing things they have told me. My creation process is based on my gut decisions. I let the work develop itself. The references used in this painting were taken from the images of the client’s daughter. The questions I kept asking myself while making this work were: how do we remember things, how do things make us feel, and what do we see in ourselves?”

April 2020
Acrylic
Student submission

Artist Statement:

“I completed this piece as a culmination of my A2 art project, titled ‘Crushed’. Because of the pandemic, I had to complete this acrylic painting at home, thinking that I’d be able to return to school after Easter to turn it in. However, those speculations were wrong, so this painting ended up perfectly representing how I’ve felt trapped and confined at home for the past couple months unable to enjoy my remaining time on-island before heading off to university.”

May 2020
Oil and graphite

Artist Statement:

“I drew a portrait in pencil and then took that drawing and layered thick black and white oil paint over it. My inspiration was an artist called Henrick Uldalen. He creates finely detailed oil paintings and then layers them with thick impasto over the top. I wanted to portray the fragility and innocence of childhood by drawing a delicate portrait of a young girl. The thick oil painted layer shows the harshness of reality destroying the beauty of youth and clouding her eyes. It shows how easily childhood innocence can be taken and destroyed – especially with current events. This is a triptych of the original drawing, one of my experimentation,s and the third cropped version.”

May 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“This piece portrays the effects codependency can have on one’s life. It is a simple piece with a deep and accurate representation depicting the impact this condition can have, from a personal perspective. It shows how continuously wanting and needing to help others with their problems to the point of being unable to focus on internal needs and well-being creates a constant feeling of exhaustion.”

April 2020
Acrylic
Student submission

Artist Statement:

“Growing up and watching these films has always made me want to create. Every second of the animation is so detailed and beautiful, so it’s hard not to be inspired while watching them. Each film is so unique and, at the same time, they all seem tied together in a strange way. I know that during quarantine, a lot of people have been introduced to Studio Ghibli films, and I am so happy for that. These movies bring out a childlike wonder in people, and I think that’s extremely important. As children, we are all so creative and imaginative, and I feel that we lose that somewhere along the way to adulthood. These films remind me that I still have all those magical ideas in me, and there are so many ways to express that through art.”

May 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“Around the world, frontline workers, particularly those in the health industry have been exhausted angels during the Covid-19 pandemic. Enduring the months with a similar strength and resilience to that displayed by those who stepped up to the responsibility of keeping countries running and preserving life during WWII. While this painting is shown from a female perspective – taking the exact format of the ‘Rosie the Riveter’ campaign aimed at recruiting women into the defense industry – this is an homage to all health workers who have ‘rolled up their sleeves’, showing the same bravery during this critical period in global history.”

May 2020
Digital drawing
Student submission (age 12)

Artist Statement:

“During the lockdown, I was unable to spend time with my friends. I missed them so much but wasn’t able to talk to them for the first part of curfew and lockdown because I didn’t have a phone. My birthday was at the end of March, and I was so happy when I received a phone as a gift. This is my best friend Alfie imitating an animé pose.”

June 2020
Acrylic with palette knife

Artist Statement:

“The beach is closed
so far yet so near…
We’ve nothing but cans
Oh…and luckily beer!”

Sally Prior’s image uses an interesting tilted perspective to portray its amusing subject matter: a still life composed of canned goods (tins of tuna and Spam) and other sundries that evoke both war time rationing and the food supply shortages that were a concern of life under lockdown in Cayman.

June 2020
Mask fragments and cloth

Artist Statement:

“Sewing more than 300 masks from approximately 50 fabrics, in commemoration, I fabricated a raw silk fuchsia-coloured skirt, using fabric remnants from the completed masks to adorn its flounce. Representing the virus’ effect on the three Cayman Islands, the pieces were cut into triangular shapes and stitched to three rows of ribbon in a maroon-red colour, analogous of the image for the coronavirus. Hung by elastic used to make the straps of the masks, the skirt is paired with a reversible mask, also made of the aforementioned remnants and the material of the main skirt.”

June 2020
Charcoal and acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“This work began as a painting of a corner in my studio, the chair the main focus of the composition. A picture of an empty chair has been a metaphor for the loss of a loved one since Roman times, and throughout Western art history. The process led me to try to find a balance between the drawing and painting, not wishing to lose the drawing under the painted surface. The blue palette is another reminder of the losses many have suffered over the last few months, that brought the world together in both grief and empathy. This is a vanitas painting, a depiction of how life and nature are finite, and how we should make them central in our planning now and in the future.”

June 2020
Graphite on paper

Artist Statement:

“The first three months’ response to COVID-19 saw restrictive lockdowns in Cayman. Finally, when some freedoms were allowed again, masks were required. My inspiration was the messaging of safety, social distancing, and the wearing of face protection that are a new normal. This depiction of my masked subject is a tribute to first responders for risking their health during the pandemic to help others, and also in grateful recognition and respect of those wearing masks for our protection. Messages ‘be safe’, ‘stay home’ will forever resonate, as will visions of covered faces.”

June 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“This painting was inspired by a fisherman who fished all day into the night and did not catch anything. His words were, ‘Every day is a fishing day, but not every day is a catching day’.”

June 2020
Acrylic and oil

Artist Statement:

“It comes with pain, biological changes and much more – our ‘middle ages’. Our work brings to light our here and now, as a couple, and what we’re going through at this time in the midst of our lives, at age 43, in the midst of a pandemic. In a field, rectangular stones stand in a clock formation, the hour hand on 43 and the minute on 42, representing one age to another – like a Stonehenge that records ages and the challenges we face. The colours and flow of the painting imitate the biological changes while the white space represents the part of life yet to be fulfilled. A splash of gold through the middle is a reminder of the golden moments life’s given.”

June 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“With the arrival of COVID-19, everything in the human world suddenly stopped. We locked our doors, hung up our car keys and held our breath, waiting for news, or sickness, or freedom. But as people took pause, nature thrived. Beneath a cloud of uncertainty we found the silver linings of time with family and the abundance of life around us. Nature soothed our restless souls and showed us the beauty in stopping and waiting patiently. Completing this painting also took patience and in return gave me many moments of calm reflection — a lockdown labour of love.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“This painting was inspired by my two Caymanian friends, and my love for banana leaves. I feel like this piece really expresses the nature of these two and their need to be outdoors during this pandemic.”

June 2020
Watercolour on paper

Artist Statement:

“I wonder what would happen to all that we have created should we disappear or leave this planet. What legacy would we leave behind? Over time, our great monuments and works of art would erode and return to ash and clay, but what would happen to Pedro St. James? Our castle endured through calamity after calamity and has been rebuilt by the hands of our people. Perhaps it too shall return to nature, maybe wilfully and beautifully. I wonder if I could see a similar sight one day and sketch it in the splendid morning.”

May 2020
Marker on canvas

Artist Statement:

“Being in self-isolation for 14 days while working from home gave me the opportunity to do some ‘scribbling’. A compulsion to just keep drawing whatever else I’m doing has led to many art pieces covering blotting boards and even clothes. This is just one of over 10 pieces completed during the past few months. The great thing about scribbling is that I’m never bored. My favourite medium is paint markers on canvas, some of which are among the pieces I’ve completed during this time.”

May 2020
Digital drawing and acrylic paper
Student submission

Artist Statement:

“This artwork was a gratitude piece for my classmates and teachers whom I haven’t seen in months.”

May 2020
Acrylic latex house-paint and oil on plywood panel

Artist Statement:

“The worst of times are represented in the darker colour in my painting – a time where confusion, struggles or even depression occurred. When anxiety and discrimination became reality, in these ’19’ times (Covid-19) where the whole world suffered. Despite this crisis, there’s also been the best of times, the opportunity to love and care for one another as we hold on together by God’s amazing grace until the darkness lifts.”

May 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“A Simple Life is a series of colourful, minimalist paintings that looks directly at the simple things that surround us, especially the great outdoors. The series is meant to question what nature and humanity represents and what it brings to our own lives; to refocus on what really matters, and encourage mindful resourcing. Each piece of this series is initially drafted and drawn digitally using clean-cut, solid-coloured, and layered shapes, then reproduced and painted with acrylic on large format paper. The Girl with a Scarf was originally drawn with less movement and then I decided to add some wind and speed to her motion. The large palm leaves stand tall on her path: a tropical laurel wreath celebrating some sense of victory over what could have held her still before. She’s looking ahead to something new and hopeful, and moving towards it with confidence.”

May 2020
Image transfer, acrylic and polymer gloss on plywood

Artist Statement:

“Tiara at Smith Cove is one of a series of photo transfer and acrylic on plywood pieces depicting the free chickens of Cayman.”

The sight of free-roaming roosters has become ubiquitous across the Cayman Islands, with some citing a previous calamity – Hurricane Ivan in 2004 – as the reason for their rapid proliferation. Over the past few months, however, the government lockdown has resulted in an even greater sense of the natural order being restored in our local environment. With the closure of our ports and air terminal, halting of construction projects, as well as the absence of traffic from previously busy roads, nature has slowly reclaimed its place.

June 2020
Acrylic

Artist Statement:

“Being that Covid-19 is a global pandemic, I decided to portray planet Earth from an aerial perspective as if seen from space, with the focus on the Caribbean Sea and North America. Covering the continent of Africa is an N95 surgical mask, symbolising our frontline workers and serving as a reminder of the importance of wearing a mask. The earth is also turned to face eastward, pointing to where Covid-19 originated. Last but not least, I have included a detail of the airplane wing of our national carrier, Cayman Airways. The wing represents my nationality as a Caymanian and the longing to be home. It also depicts the ongoing repatriation of citizens and foreigners alike during the global closure of borders and shutdown of aviation and transportation.”

May 2020
Cotton, thread, and natural dyes

Artist Statement:

“This piece is a tribute to the ‘make do and mend’ resourcefulness of mid-twentieth century Caymanian society, which has re-emerged in recent months as people adjust to the restrictions of lockdown. I was inspired by the iconic ‘We Can Do It’ poster, having been amongst the many armies of ‘dressmakers’ making masks for people’s protection during the Coronavirus crisis. The frame and the fabrics are repurposed, whilst the spaces around the leaves create negative spaces – a metaphor to stay safe at home.”

May 2020
Acrylic ink on woodblock

Artist Statement:

“This time spent alone in lockdown has allowed me to be more creative. I love how the grain of the wood shows through to enhance the water or the sky. I am inspired by the sky and the sea – the colours and the energy of them both. I just recently started painting fish, and I love the textures and colours they allow an artist to explore.”

May 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“During a time when staying home is a necessity not a choice, it’s important to keep a routine. For me, taking the time to paint has turned into creating pieces that not only help to maintain my routine but also to enhance my home decor. A comfy home makes any situation sustainable. Hope you enjoy my new headboard as much as I do.”

May 2020
Wire and acrylic

Artist Statement:

“During the past two months being able to walk around the dyke roads at Patrick’s Island has been a real blessing. One of the great things about these walks is being alone and being able to appreciate the tranquillity and the wildlife, particularly the birds. One of my favourite sights is of a moorhen stalking fish. The bright yellow legs and brightly coloured beak, contrasted against a black plumage with white flashes on the bird’s tail, was the inspiration for my sculpture.”

April 2020
Reclaimed canvas, oil and spray paint

Artist Statement:

“I started spray painting large walls in Sydney, Australia, 15 years ago. When I moved to the Cayman Islands about three years ago, we built a wall in the backyard so I could continue with my large-scale spray paintings. I managed to convince Heather Holt, my girlfriend and painting collaboration partner, to paint a large mural together. She and I had only done smaller canvases together in the past, so this was a big step for our collaborative artwork.”

May 2020
Graphite pencil and Prismacolor coloured pencils

Artist Statement:

“This is another bird that I was inspired to draw. I was challenged at first since I did not know how to depict white colouring over a white background, but I tried anyway, and somehow I was happy with the result. Living here in the Cayman Islands has also brought me to a discovery of different birds, which seem to be highly domesticated and are visible everywhere. Just by looking at them and listening to their sounds, I am reminded of the passage from the Bible that says: ‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?’ (Matthew 6:26-27). Seeing these birds continuing on serenely has brought me much comfort during the long periods of confinement at home.”

May 2020
Resin and pigment blend

Artist Statement:

“I am a Caymanian artist inspired by the island’s beauty. I have been trying to keep creative and occupy my mind with my passion in this time of lockdown. Painting and crafting are my ‘happy place’. It is a nice distraction. So this piece, with the stormy ocean, is a representation of the rolling waves of emotions during this time of a world pandemic. It is painted on a canvas using a blend of resin and pigments that mimic the beautiful colours of the Caribbean Sea. These hues are a positive feeling to give good thoughts… There are better days ahead.”

May 2020
Acrylic, ballpoint pen, and pencil

Artist Statement:

“As a resident of the South Sound area, I was missing my walks along the shore near Sand Cay and Surfer’s Beach during the Covid-19 lockdown. I decided to paint an image that would remind me of the beauty of that little sanctuary, which my doggie Murphy and my husband enjoy so much. This pandemic has been a reminder that we are very blessed to live on such a beautiful island.”

June 2020
Acrylic with marker
Student submission (age 12)

Artist Statement:

“We have been in quarantine and lockdown since the middle of March. The last place I went was a holiday in the Alps with my family. We drove from Geneva, and this is what I remember from the jaw-dropping view of Lake Geneva set amongst the backdrop of the Swiss Alps. Incredible to think how free we were then and how quickly the world would change.”

May 2020
White Portland cement and beach sand

Artist Statement:

“Alone, when all veils are shed, she waits. What does she want? Who does she wait for? She wants the same that we all want. And she waits for the one that we all wait for.”

June 2020
Mixed media acrylic, charcoal, ink, twine and found objects

Artist Statement:

“Frayed is a combination of traditional media presented in a non-traditional manner, with overlapping and backwards canvases, and available material I had during lockdown. This display shows the breakdown of norms that we have experienced during this global pandemic, disjointed and unbalanced, yet still connected. The themes behind this piece developed in the creation process, allowing the colours, texts, and material choices to flow from my subconscious with no predetermined plan. Although we may seem separated across oceans or even across the street, these common strings join us back together – frayed but strong at the core of human experience.”

June 2020
Mixed media

Artist Statement:

“Inspired by the work of (artist) Jean Micheal Basquait, this work depicts the language and thoughts of people under Covid-19.”

Artist Tessa Hansen’s bold mixed media collage represents a dramatic stylistic departure for an artist whose work is typically preoccupied with pure abstraction and the formal concerns of the painted medium. Against a lurid green background, Hansen’s graffiti-like rendering of the painting’s surface and the multiplicity of newspaper clippings that collectively vie for our attention evoke the sensory assault of conflicting headlines and news reports that characterised the initial weeks of the Covid pandemic.

June 2020
Maple, sapele, and walnut

Artist Statement:

“The piece is a gift I designed and constructed for my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding anniversary next month. It is a box for storage of their wedding cake knife and serving spatula. The construction features traditional woodworking joinery. No screws or fasteners were used. It is made of maple for the sides, sapele for the legs, and walnut for the top, drawer sides, and drawer pull. The finish is clear Briwax, measuring 22 in wide x 15 in deep x 6-7/8 in tall.”

April 2020
Digital drawing and acrylic paper

Artist Statement:

“I was asked, by an acquaintance in Spain, to draw some artworks as part of an initiative called #MeetMyWilson. Based on the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks’ character is stranded on a desert island and builds himself a friend using a volleyball, the objective was to help people who were feeling isolated know that they were being thought about. My idea for it was: if Wilson were a real actor, what other roles might he have played?”

June 2020
Papier-mâché and found monofilament acrylic on board

Artist Statement:

“The Cayman Compass published a story in January about a turtle found off Northwest Point with a flipper wrapped in fishing line. The divers who made the discovery were too late to save it. One of them, Serena Evans, said: ‘The look in the turtle’s eyes when we found him was haunting. Every diver’s nightmare would be drowning underwater; the terror the turtle would have experienced whilst drowning was apparent in his eyes.’ This is not an isolated incident; there have been many reports of marine life becoming entangled. I hope to bring awareness with this sculpture.”

June 2020
Mixed media

Artist Statement:

“‘I can’t breathe’
‘Why are you following me?’
‘How did switching lanes with no signal turn into all of this’

Just a few words for those who have been taken from us permanently by police officers. We stand united all over the world, because black lives matter, and our voices are not being silenced this time around. As we raise our fists in unity, we remember those who have been taken away; we speak and we stand up for those who no longer have a voice.”

June 2020
Gouache, watercolour, gold ink, and gold leaf

Artist Statement:

“The heart, often forgotten, yet so needed for life. An anatomically drawn heart that is intentionally off-centre is split with a diagonally drawn line. This piece speaks to the fact that during troubling times, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic, the things that should be important come to light. We are also made aware of the positive and the negative parts of life. On a physical level, the heart is forgotten until it stops. On an emotional level, the heart is searching for connections and contentment. On a spiritual level, the heart is seeking to fill a void it does not understand. During our darkest times a heart of gold, a heart that seems to be held by only a few, shines the brightest. It is often dismissed until we find ourselves in situations beyond our control.”

May 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“In the past I have always painted from what was in front of me, using a subject as a starting off point, and going from there. Now, I am just addressing a blank canvas – laying down layers – transparent paint, opaque paint, scrapping back and moving around the canvas with no subject in mind… no longer is there a subject or anything in front of me. I am just responding with paint, colours and marks to what is evolving – usually deciding to add ‘more paint’. Usually ‘more paint’ is always what is needed, I find. It is interesting that this process, and ones trusting of this process, is running parallel to my reaction to the coronavirus and how we are responding to our various shutdowns and distancing: not knowing, continuing forward, and trusting of the outcome.”

April 2020
Charcoal drawing on paper

Artist Statement:

“Inside In Mirror is a self-portrait which was created with limited supplies and tools that were not all typical for me to use, especially in the way I used them. This piece was made mostly in an exploratory and experimental manner, partially in order to try to adapt to a new way of making art.”

June 2020
Photograph

Artist Statement:

“The initial symbol of the Covid-19 pandemic was the volumes of bathroom paper that were snatched up in the panic purchasing by shoppers in preparation to being placed under curfew for an extended period. This is a minimalist representation of the single-minded focus of panic.”

April 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“Da Vinci’s La Gioconda (the Mona Lisa) combined with the circumstances of the pandemic are the inspiration for this artwork. The depiction is of La Gioconda dropping her facemask and exposing her hypocritical smile while holding in her arms a Blue Iguana and posing over a very familiar landscape. When this situation ends, we will have all experienced times where the ‘masks’ of pretence fell from people, when the islands will be safe once more, and people will again learn how to smile like La Gioconda for the good of spectators.”

May 2020
Acrylic on canvas

Artist Statement:

“She is on her own.
She is worrying about her paradise island,
and yet – she is confident that everything will be ok.
She can manage.
We can manage!”