In late September 2022, NGCI launched a new exhibition of works from the National Collection that explore the significance of domestic life and the centrality of the home within the wider story of the country’s art. Foregrounding “the multiple ways in which Caymanian artists have chronicled Cayman’s cultural evolution, reaching back to our Islands’ earliest forms of creative expression to trace a continuously shifting portrait of Caymanian society and its people”, The Ties that Bind adopts a thematic approach in place of the conventional chronological survey. As a result, the exhibit showcases a diverse cross-section of the National Collection, featuring everything from traditional thatch crafts to contemporary installations.
Commenting on the exhibition, NGCI Director and Chief Curator Natalie Urquhart stated, “[This exhibition] embraces the complexity of Cayman’s rich cultural legacy,” and provides a “roadmap for exploring who we are, where we have come from, and ultimately where we are going”. Revealing these threads of connection as a means of inspiring deeper insight into our shared histories, the featured artworks bring the Caymanian people to the forefront through an overarching focus on societal connections – the community ties and family relationships that have long served as the bedrock of the Caymanian experience, the bonds forged with our natural surroundings, as well as the collective effort to shape a clearer picture of our evolving national identity. These themes are addressed in the exhibition by 49 local artists and over 80 artworks from the National Gallery collection, including loaned artworks from the Cayman Islands National Museum and Cayman National Cultural Foundation.
The Ties That Bind is on view until 24 March 2023 and admission is free and open to all. For more information about the exhibition, or for related lectures, workshops, and programme schedules, please visit: www.nationalgallery.org.ky or call (345) 945 8111. To book a school tour or for related school resources please email education@nationalgallery.org.ky . The National Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.