Mangrove III
This large-scale painting falls into the genre of the historical narrative, presenting an abstract panorama of early Caymanian history. Created in response to the Islands’ Quincentennial Celebrations in 2003, the work alludes to Christopher Columbus’ voyage in 1503 (referenced in the twin sails emblazoned with the Spanish Cross), when the noted explorer sighted Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for the first time in recorded history. Mann weaves symbolic imagery throughout this colourful work, including a white dove which alludes to the Islands’ Christian heritage, and the tangle of mangrove roots— a nod perhaps to the pristine natural environment that Columbus and his crew would have encountered, and which Hurricane Ivan was to decimate in 2004.
About the Artist
Chris Mann
b. 1955
Chris Mann was born in England and studied Fine Art and Ceramics at Goldsmiths College, London, before moving to the Cayman Islands in 1987 to teach art. He practices in a variety of mediums and his work is characterised by a bold, expressionist style and rich colours. Key exhibitions include the second Biennial of Painting in the Caribbean & Central America at the Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1994), Carifesta X in Guyana (2008), and the Commonwealth Games Art Exhibition in New Zealand (2002). Mann was the 2017 recipient of The National Arts and Culture Gold Award for Creativity in the Arts from CNCF. Exhibitions at NGCI include: Anchored in Landscapes (2005), Watermarks (2005), Emergence (2005), Arreckly: Towards a Cultural Identity (2007), Art of Assemblage (2013), Metamorphoses (2014), All Access (2015), Upon The Seas (2017), Mediating Self (2017), Cross Currents – 1st Cayman Islands Biennial (2019), and Tropical Visions (2019).
