3 a Lick, No Taws (Ode to Milo series)
The Ode to Milo series remains Banker’s most iconic body of work to date. He uses the much-loved Milo powdered chocolate drink as a symbol of his experience as a child in the Cayman Islands, a touchpoint shared by many West Indians. For Banker, it is in such seemingly mundane objects (à la Warhol’s soup cans) that his culture dwells. Using bold graphics and humour in his work, he also draws attention to more serious concerns, such as the erosion of Caymanian cultural heritage.
About the Artist
Wray Banker
b. 1968
Born in West Bay, Grand Cayman, Wray Banker studied graphic design in Houston and is a founding member of the Native Sons artist collective. Career highlights include Serious bout Makin’ Fun (NGCI, 2001); designing pins for the Cayman Islands 1996 Olympic Committee, and the 2003 Pan Am Games (both voted Best of Countries). Notable exhibitions include Art Basel Miami (2003); the Santo Domingo Biennale (2003); the Griffin Gallery, Chicago (2006); and Carifesta X, Guyana (2008). Banker has received numerous awards, including the Lifetime Achievement in Arts award from the Cayman Islands Government (2003), The McCoy Prize’s Second Commendation in Photography (2005), People’s Choice for Fine Art (2006), CNCF’s Artistic Achievement Award (2007), and an Emerging Pioneer recognition at Cayman Islands’ National Heroes Day (2014). Banker was one of four Caymanian artists to be included in A-Z of Caribbean Art (Robert & Christopher Publishers: 2019), a landmark survey of contemporary art from the Caribbean region and its diaspora. His work has featured in numerous exhibitions at NGCI, including the solo show Serious ‘Bout Makin’ Fun (2001), Art of Assemblage (2013), Metamorphoses (2014), tIDal Shift: Explorations of Identity in Contemporary Caymanian Art (2015), Speak to Me (2016), Mediating Self (2017), Revive: Contemporary Caymanian Craft (2017), Reimagined Futures: 2nd Cayman Islands Biennial (2021), and Pop and the Popular (2022).
