The artist highlighted in September was Shaundell Horton, who presented her latest collection of art works under the theme Van nostalgie naar abstractie [from nostalgia to abstraction]. And similar to Horton’s quiet character, her art also exudes a sense of calm. The works are made from among other things, tea bags, wood glue and acrylics on canvas. Most of them are abstract, but some of the paintings are figurative. Additionally, there are also other objects in which the artist has also used teabags. The heads made from foam, have been given something like a ‘face’ with textile and beads. One of the objects shares some similarities with voodoo art because of the use of shiny beads with which the figures have been formed, which resembles the heart-shapes and skulls that are unique to voodoo art, or vèvè.The artist did not do this consciously. “Earlier tonight another visitor also mentioned the likeness, but I did not choose this on purpose”, says Horton. The sculptures are made from mixed media, teabags, wood glue and acrylic paint.
The visual artist distinguishes herself by among other things, her use of natural blue and yellow-brown hues. “I always use the same shades, because they appeal to me the most. They also help me to express that which I want to convey.” Some of the canvases depict faces, one shows a fisherman, and others are open to several interpretations. Where some may see a door, others might recognize a hallway. The largest artwork in the space can be considered the work where nostalgia is the main theme. In her work the artist often incorporates elements related to her heritage and her country of birth, Guyana. The work portrays a female figure, seen from the back, who looks at a mountainous landscape with a waterfall. This presentation shows a slow transition from figurative art to abstract works, where other themes than ‘identity’ are addressed as well.
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TEXT Rose-Marie Maître
Rose-Marie Maître is a freelance writer and likes to visit art and culture events. In the past ten years, she has primarily produced news items for television, newspapers, websites and also radio. She also writes poems and now also creative texts for Sranan Art Exposed.
TRANSLATION Cassandra Gummels-Relyveld
PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy Readytex Art Gallery
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What: Thursday-Night-Feature (TNF) – (Facebook Event): Shaundell Horton
When: Thursday, September 5, 2019, 19:00-21:00 hrs. The exhibition is open from September 05 until September 28. Opening hours: Monday thru Friday, 08:00-16:30 hrs and on Saturday, 08:30-13:30 hrs.
Where: Readytex Art Gallery (RAG) (also on Facebook), Steenbakkerijstraat 30, Paramaribo, Suriname
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My Lifestyle en Readytex Art Gallery (RAG): interview met beeldend kunstenaar Shaundell Horton