Clayton De Freitas has been a lover of the arts from a very young age. Born in Trinidad in 1962, he grew up among the renowned "gingerbread" houses before moving to the Netherlands Antilles. On the islands of St Maarten and Saba, Clayton was socially active in the arts, participating in exhibitions and teaching at an elementary level.
His passion for painting continued throughout the years, leading him to explore several different media including watercolour, acrylic, fabric paint and pen and ink. He eventually returned to Trinidad, continuing to produce his beautiful works despite his deteriorated vision in one eye and near blindness in the other, something that makes his work exceptional.
He continues to be socially active in the arts, working with drug rehab programmes in various prisons in addition to conducting other therapy activities. Clayton is also assistant secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Art Society.
His exhibition, titled Memories, is comprised of watercolour pieces in sepia tones that are full of depth and evoke a strong sense of nostalgia.
The compositions span a variety of subjects, from distant figures on quiet beaches to dense foliage in remote areas, where he used light to create sharp contrast in the works.
Clayton's exhibition opened last Tuesday at Horizons Art Gallery, 37 Mucurapo Road, St James and continues until September 9 from 9 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday.
?