Sea Grape Tree
Native to the Caribbean, the sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is conspicuous for its large, circular leaves with red veins and its edible purple grapes. It is these features, along with the gnarled shape of the trunk, which have been sculpted by the wind and salt spray, that the artist beautifully renders using a combination of ink and acrylic.
About the Artist
Maureen Andersen Berry
1927–2016
Born in Derby, United Kingdom, the late Maureen Andersen Berry studied fine art at the Slade School of Fine Art, London, and gained an art teacher’s diploma from the Institute of Education, London. While in the United Kingdom, Andersen Berry taught art and exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington House, as well as the Whitechapel Gallery and the Paddington Art Society. She moved to the Cayman Islands in 1976 and taught art in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac until her retirement in 1991, painting abundantly in oil and watercolour throughout this time. Her work is heavily influenced by Post-Impressionism and is predominantly concerned with the vibrant flora and vistas of the three Cayman Islands. She was a regular exhibitor at the NGCI festival Art@Governor’s. Key NGCI exhibitions include All Access (2015), A Legacy of Light (2016), Tropical Visions (2019), Seascapes: Maritime Art from the National Collection (2020), which travelled to the Little Cayman Museum, and The People’s Collection: A 25-Year Cultural Legacy (2022).
