A fisherman sets off from Tacarib for his daily jaunt with the moody Caribbean Sea waters; Cedros housewives swap household chores for an evening catch-up on the latest neighborhood bacchanal, and brothers relax, gazing over the shores of Blanchisseuse. These and more are the scenes portrayed by local artist Jenny Chambers in her latest exhibition � Moods of Trinidad.
The T&T Guardian got an exclusive sneak peek at the work for the exhibition which will be at the T&T Art Society from December 10 � 14, and had a chance to catch up with the artist herself.
Chambers said Moods of Trinidad is reflective of the very fabric of who she is as a Trinidadian woman and as an artist. Thematically the work follows past successful exhibitions in the United Kingdom (2008), the Keskidee Art Studio in Trinidad (2002) and in Jamaica in 2001.
"All of my paintings, from my first exhibition to this one, have been based on scenes observed over the years in our beautiful island. And there have been many years," joked the 71-year-old artist. "We have so much to appreciate in what Trinidad has to offer, from beautiful lands to a rich culture. I like to absorb myself in all of it and use it as inspiration for all that I paint." An understandable position when one considers her background.
As a child, the parents of Chambers and her eight siblings, instilled in them the importance of academic excellence, hard work, a love for the arts, a deep appreciation for nature, a strong sense of family and pride in their Trinidadian heritage.
"Whatever my brothers and sisters and I have achieved over the years and how we see the world, is owed in no small part to the love and direction of our parents, Adrian and Marjorie Mottley," she said.
"My brothers Wendell, John, David and Keith have sustained their childhood passion and respect for nature, land and sea. And our mother's there's artistic flair certainly runs through the family. My sisters Judy, Monica and Shirley are all wonderful artists.
"Our childhood was an age where you actually experienced T&T. You didn't have the TV to develop what your narrative of T&T life was. It was a natural envelopment."
The home where Jenny grew up in northern Trinidad had a river running through the back yard with tall, shady bamboo along its banks. No doubt an inspiration for the river scenes captured in this body of work. Remarkably, Jenny is a self-taught artist with some guidance along the way from Jackie Hinkson and the late Pat Bishop who gave opening remarks at her last Trinidad exhibition.
Moods of Trinidad is a thoughtful body of work that captures an innocence of our land and people well worth preserving. "I can't say that how I see Trinidad is how everyone else will see it, but my hope is that the exhibition captures something of Trinidad that we can all relate to."
Chambers has dedicated this exhibition to her husband Michael and her three boys, Randall, Marc and Donald.
Moods of Trinidad opensthis evening at 6pm at the The Art Society of T&T, Federation Park, Port of Spain.
The exhibition runs until December 14.
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