Natural Red Basket
In this work, Powell has used her skill and creativity as an expert thatch weaver to craft an object whose purpose is first and foremost decorative. While the silver thatch palm was typically used for rope making, roofing, and basketry, the artist here removes the primarily functional role of the traditional thatch basket — traditionally reserved for the storage and transport of provisions — and instead highlights the inherently aesthetic qualities of her chosen medium.
About the Artist
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Powell
b. 1937
Born in West Bay, Grand Cayman, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Powell learned the skill of thatching from her mother, who made baskets for use on the family farm. In the early 1970s, she learned advanced techniques from a visiting teacher and became a professional basket maker. Powell is now a central member of the Cayman Islands Traditional Arts Council. Her work is featured in Art of the Cayman Islands, the Islands’ first formal art history (Scala Fine Art Publishers Ltd.: Fall 2016). She was a regular exhibitor at NGCI’s Art@Governor’s festival and NGCI exhibitions include: All Access (2015), Revive: Contemporary Caymanian Craft (2017), and Island of Women: Life at Home During our Maritime Years (2020).
