Even a cursory overview of the island and mainland peoples of the Caribbean belies the homogeneity that this geographical label suggests. Nowhere is this truer than with Trinidad and Tobago, the product of a cultural amalgam of Amerindians, Spaniards, Britons, French, Africans, East Indians (both Hindus and Muslims), Chinese, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrians, and others.
Out of this diversity befitting a much larger country has emerged a society whose art defies traditions and embraces idiosyncrasies. This cultural richness was recently showcased at the Cultural Center Art Gallery at the IDB in the exhibit A Challenging Endeavor. Included were watercolors, paintings by a group of artists who came of age just prior to the country's independence in 1962, works by established and younger artists, and images from the Carnival celebration.
“The arts of Trinidad and Tobago in the last 150 years have mutated under a variety of situations that have no continuity or connections among them,” writes IDB Cultural Center Curator Félix Angel in the exhibit catalogue. “Different stages of such a mutation suggest that change has been induced sometimes for the sake of political adjustment, leaving other social issues always pending. The works of art left by many along this uneven path, such as those selected for this exhibition, are clues that bear invaluable references to the clarification of Trinidadian culture.”
In this spirit, Angel acknowledges that the IDB exhibit does not present a cohesive overview of Trinidadian art, instead presenting an impression “as fragmentary as has always been the fabric of society” on that island nation.
“The practice of the arts in Trinidad and Tobago has been for some a joyful experience,” according to Angel. “But for most it has been a challenging endeavor. Although the legacy needs more exploration and is not yet as appreciated by the majority as one would hope, it does reflect the elusive personality of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”