Jackie Hinkson, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most acclaimed artists, will present his retrospective exhibition “Jackie Hinkson: 5 Decades of Art” in Tobago, during the month of April. Organized by Taí Fernández-Toledo, this exhibition includes Hinkson’s watercolors, drawings, sculptures and murals. A new DVD featuring the artist at work, produced by Christopher Laird, will be shown at the exhibition. Hinkson’s retrospective was recently on view at the National Museum and Art Gallery and other venues in Trinidad, as part of the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations. Now, the exhibition will be on view at the Gulf City Mall in Lowlands, Tobago, from April 8 through May 4, 2013. The opening reception (by invitation only) will take place on April 6. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Description: Jackie Hinkson first exhibited in 1961 together with Peter Minshall, Pat Bishop and other young artists, at the dawn of Trinidad and Tobago’s independence. Now, age 70, he is established as the country’s leading watercolourist. The exhibition traces his artistic evolution over 50 years from his early oil paintings of the 1960’s to his later work in other media including watercolours, wood carvings, pen and ink drawings, conte crayon and charcoals. As a youth, Jackie travelled in the sixties and seventies to France and Canada on scholarships before returning to his native Caribbean light and the everyday subjects he loved. He made a crucial decision to remain at home and devote the rest of his life here to his art. For decades Jackie Hinkson has been a familiar sight from Charlotteville to Crown Point, working at his easel in the outdoors, executing “plein air” water colour paintings.

Encouraged by several people to bring the exhibition to Tobago, Jackie wished to acknowledge the island as inspiring so much of his work over several decades.  The Tobago exhibition contains some differences from the original show in Trinidad, having more works of Tobago landscapes, including work borrowed from private and corporate collections and from the artist’s own collection. As a highlight of the show Hinkson’s unique “Christ in Trinidad” series will be on display. Begun in 2003, these 14 large panels depict events from the life of Christ set in a modern Trinidad and Tobago context, reflecting the artist’s response to changes in his society. The Christ series always arouses excitement and interest among the audience. Eleven life-sized wood sculptures will be on show and, for the first time in Tobago, the artist’s sketch pads will be shown.

Image above: Charlotteville Roadside 1 (2009, watercolour, 20″ x 28″)

[Many thanks to Taí Fernández-Toledo for bringing this item to our attention.]

For more on the artist, see http://jackiehinkson.com/