Catboats
This lithograph by Miguel Powery was produced during the artist’s residency at the Studio Graphica in Havana, Cuba in September 2001, which was funded by NGCI’s “Artist’s Away” programme. With its sepia tones evoking nostalgia for a bygone era of Cayman’s maritime years, when the Islands’ economy revolved around turtle fishing and remittances from seamen, Powery’s image honours Cayman’s maritime heritage and specifically the institution of the catboat, which has enjoyed a revival in recent years with the founding of the Cayman Catboat Club in 2013.
About the Artist
Miguel Powery
b. 1957
Born in Grand Cayman, Miguel Powery is a self-taught painter and sculptor who carves black coral and semi-precious stones. A founding member of the Native Sons artists collective, he was recognised with a lifetime achievement award from CNCF in 2003 and as a Cultural Heritage Pioneer at the 2014 National Heroes Day ceremony. His work can be found in the permanent collections of NGCI, the Cayman Islands National Museum and the Cayman Islands Government. His work has been featured at NGCI in a solo exhibition (1999) and in numerous group exhibitions, including Native Sons’ Fahive (2005), 21st Century Cayman (2010), Founded upon the Seas (2012), All Access (2015), Native Sons – Twenty Years On (2016), Saltwater in their Veins (2017), and Tropical Visions (2019).
