Unbelievably tragic—and another stain on T&T’s blood-spattered crime landscape.
Art world maven and fine arts dealer Mark Pereira never lived to see his 67th birthday on Tuesday—he was slain hours before on Monday night in a reported robbery attempt at his Blanchisseuse home.
He was born in T&T, raised in South Africa and returned to T&T in 1978. He survived serving in the South African navy, including off war-torn Angola in 1976.
He was an individual unapologetic about being gay and a widely travelled art expert—specialist on Cazabon and many other famed local artists—whose consultancy services included to the Office of the Prime Minister, Office of the President and the UK’s famed Sotheby’s and Christies’ brokers.
Pereira’s immediate relatives live in South Africa.
But his sudden violent death has left rivers of tears flowing not just in T&T’s art community, but also among the “family” he built here and his connections overseas.
Son of a Trinidadian father and Grenadian mother, Pereira had been as big a figure in T&T’s art world as his trademark height.
He entered the sector in 1995, moving from Aquarela galleries to the 101 Art Gallery, which he owned for over 25 years. The gallery was a landmark originally on Tragarete Road and in latter years, has been at the Boscoe Holder House location on Woodford Street, Newtown, Port-of-Spain. His work also encompassed research and consultancy, including to corporate collections and institutions.
Among those mourning Pereira yesterday was retired businessman Anthony Salloum, who broke into tears at one point.
Salloum, who’d dealt with Pereira on art, said, “His birthday would have been Tuesday ... he was gem of a person—caring. Generosity was his middle name.
“He’s known our family for well over 30-plus years. Mark was the master of ceremonies at my wedding many years ago to Gail Quesnel and he’s also godfather to our eldest daughter Amanda.”
He added, “He was very close to the family. He even ‘starred’ in a video of a Christmas song I’d performed in 1999, The Hat I Got for Christmas is Too Big.
“I got the news on Monday when I was at a family gathering. One of the girls held up a phone with the information of another murder and a picture. When I looked closely, it was Mark—it was the most agonising traumatic moment.”
Salloum was asked at the function to do one of his compositions called “Theresa,” to build awareness of the need to do more for T&T’s unfortunate citizens.
He added, “I did the song but felt we couldn’t succumb to this terrible pressure which crime has placed on T&T. So I also did ‘The Hat’ song in tribute to Mark. Everyone sang along—farewell our good and kind friend.”
Dulcie Nieves, who managed 101 Art Gallery for many years, said, “Mark’s passion was art. His mind was never far from it. He had an iron focus—indeed, his Christmas gifts were wrapped by October!”
“He recently returned from a two-month trip to India. Five days after, he hosted a party for 20 people, giving each a personalised gift from the trip. It was a magical evening with a sumptuous meal he prepared with his signature ham dish. No one will ever forget that event.”
Gail Quesnel-Salloum, among attendees at that dinner, said, “His birthday was (Tuesday). He lived his life with the most joyful spirit and greatest focus on love. He gave his all to every moment of his life. His life should not be in vain. Let each one of us fill our lives with love in honour of Mark.”
Horizon Art Gallery’s Joelle Blanc said, “I just managed to stop crying and I’m starting to do so again talking about him here.
“Mark was a member of a ‘family’ not just part of the art community. A beautiful person with a beautiful soul, exuding love.”
Blanc added, “He’s been a fixture in my life since I was a child, he was the sort of person to make himself felt positively and warmly in all of the lives he touched. We spoke on the phone recently and as fate would have it, in conversation, I got to tell him what a sweet, lovely person he is. I feel a tiny bit better he’d have known that was how everyone felt about him.”
Former T&T Art Society president (2015-2017) Clayton De Freitas, said, “I’ve seen where Blanchisseuse residents are also mourning him, that’s testament to the man he was. It’s a real loss, Mark was a steward for T&T’s artists, full of life—and first and foremost a gentleman.”
Crime beyond belief, limiting people’s freedoms
Crime is way out of control and it’s time for progress beyond talk.
This was the word from Radio 103.1FM’s Luis Hart, who agreed yesterday that slain fine arts dealer Mark Pereira was from a generation that saw the last best times of T&T, but that the country’s crime situation is now beyond belief.
“I always ask people, anybody who’s never been affected by crime—raise your hand. Nobody can do it. Because everybody in T&T has been affected or touched by crime in some way, directly or indirectly via someone they knew or lost,” Hart told Guardian Media.
“I’m not aligned to anything politically, but there’s only one word for this crime avalanche. Shameful.”
Starlite CEO Gerald Aboud added, “Mr Pereira’s tragic death reminds us that crime has limited the freedoms of our T&T people— exercising, recreation, shopping, even going somewhere in the country for a vacation, all business. Our leaders must step up.”
Independent Senator Paul Richards said the figure of 600 murders was being talked about, “But is 500 better? Or 400, or 300? Are we satisfied with that? These may be numbers but remember they are people and it’s traumatic for their loved ones.”
Richards added, “We need to stop talking about the crime and start showing action on the various issues that need fixing, including the criminal justice system. Criminals don’t seem to feel apprehensive about being caught.
“Action is needed to fix the aspects—from the education system, where slow learners need systems to assist them before they become vulnerable to the gangs and fall through the cracks—to the judicial system, the slow court system based on police prosecution and rehabilitation processes in prison. We need to start showing progress.”