A Walk Among Brilliance - Art Gallery review

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Castellani House is located at the corners of Vlissengen Road and Home Stretch Avenue. It was designed by Caesar Castellani in 1882, and later named after him in 1993. Today it is now known as ‘The National Gallery of Art: Castellani House.’

Ohene Koama, a former Visual Arts teacher at the Mae’s Schools and the Charlestown Secondary School, begun working at the National Art Gallery as the curator’s assistant in August 2004. He later became the acting Curator in 2014.

The Gallery showcases a wealth of Guyanese fine art such as sculptures and paintings. Some 80 pieces are currently on display at the National Gallery. When visited, two exhibitions were on display, one called ‘We the People,’ which showcased artworks by Betsy Karim, Bryan Clarke and Michael Khan. The second was an exhibition of paintings by Maritza Perez. These shared the spotlight with the National Art Gallery’s regular exhibits which include works by notable Guyanese Artist like E.R. Burrows, Stephanie Correia, Stanley Greaves, Phillip Moore, Winslow Craig and others.

Maritza Del Carmen Perez Quimbaya’s exhibition had 19 pieces on display. I felt a sense of intimacy while observing the artist painting beautiful purple flowers on a wooden barrel. A person viewing the exhibition could have interacted with her, as the multitasking artist applied her craft in their presence.

Maritza, born in Bogota, Colombia, is the wife of the Chile’s Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Mr Claudio Rachel Rojas. She grew up with the creative presence of art and was always motivated to explore her own creativity. Along with her natural abilities, Maritza studied at the National University of Colombia.

Speaking in English with a Spanish accent she said, “I love the collage type of art [pasting pieces of objects on a painting to represent part of the Art], since it is more natural.”

The Cultura India Sari or Indian Sari culture [translation] (2017) was breath-taking blend of different colours. It is one of Maritza’s more outstanding pieces, consisting of a partial painting clothed in a traditional Indian sari. The uniqueness of this piece of art added to its magnificence. Looking at the art-work, the idea portrayed was clearly understood.

I was impressed by the gallery’s simplicity, how was well-kept and how the works of art were properly displayed. The staff were very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very helpful.

The building though well ventilated and filled with natural light, could benefit tremendously from a cafeteria or lounge. The gallery has stools on the ground floor to allow visitors to sit, study and or enjoy the artwork, a feature that is lacking on the second floor which house mostly sculptures.

A visit to the National Gallery of Arts was an enlightening experience. It is a must see if you haven’t done so as yet, or haven’t been in a while—trust me, you won’t regret it.

Opening Hours are: Monday to Friday 10:00hrs to 17:00hrs and Saturday 14:00hrs- 18:00hrs Admission: Free. Large groups can make reservations by phone, (592) 225 0579, and 225 6638, Fax: (592) 225 5078