Untitled (Upstairs House)
Untitled (Upstairs House) showcases a two-story Caymanian dwelling, illustrating the evolution of domestic architecture in Cayman from the wattle and daub constructions that characterised traditional house design in the 1800s. The house Sibley portrays incorporates a zinc roof—a feature that became ubiquitous in the 1920s—as well as an abundance of decorative wooden fretwork. The scene is further enlivened by the figures that inhabit it, creating a dynamic image that perfectly captures the rhythm of everyday life: open doors and windows, drying laundry and a woman seemingly engaged in conversation with a passer-by below.
About the Artist
Joanne Sibley
b. 1930
Joanne Sibley arrived in the Cayman Islands from Canada in 1980 after living in Jamaica, where she had established herself as a successful artist. An interior designer by trade, Sibley has a signature style highly influenced by her formal training in architectural rendering. She has become one of the Islands’ most prolific and recognisable artists and was awarded the 1995 Creativity Prize by CNCF. Her work is featured in Art of the Cayman Islands, the Islands’ first formal art history (Scala Fine Art Publishers Ltd.: Fall 2016). NGCI exhibitions include the solo show Watermarks (2005), Faces and Figures (2007), Our Story of Art (2013), Metamorphoses (2014), All Access (2015), A Legacy of Light (2016), Mediating Self (2017), Tropical Visions (2019), Seascapes: Maritime Art from the National Collection in Little Cayman (2020) at the Little Cayman Museum, Saltwater in Their Veins (2020) and The People’s Collection: A 25-Year Cultural Legacy (2022).
