On 24 February 2023, NGCI had the honour of hosting a private opening in the Lower Exhibition Hall for the solo exhibition of one of the Caymanian art scene’s leading figures, Al Ebanks. Uniting a striking assortment of works, Al Ebanks 33: Remnants of the Artist is the latest in a series of exhibitions that have showcased members of the influential Native Sons artist collective, following on the heels of recent solo presentations by Horacio Esteban (2020) and Nasaria Suckoo Chollette (2022). Showcasing Ebanks’ prolific and dynamic practice, 33: Remnants of the Artist examines the evolution and nature of Ebanks’ creative expression, abandoning the conventional chronological survey in an effort to authentically capture the essence of his ever-evolving and unyielding creative expression.
In a prolific career spanning thirty-three years, Ebanks has produced an iconic body of work and established a distinct signature style. The artist’s interdisciplinary practice encompasses painting, sculpture, installation, fashion design and performance, blurring the boundaries between different media through an all-embracing approach to creative expression. Deeply invested in considerations of personal and collective identity, Ebanks’ expansive contemplation of the artist’s role in society reflects an unflinching commitment to equality and diversity—honouring community and the historical legacies of the Caymanian cultural experience, while forging his own path as a creative visionary whose voice is unmistakeably his own.
Presenting the exhibited artworks as inter-related components of a larger body of material, the individual artworks are organised into three groupings that correspond to the exhibition’s three-part structure: titled ‘Mind’, ‘Body’, and ‘Spirit’. Respectively, each group addresses the primary preoccupations of Ebanks’ life and artistic practice. As a means of drawing out these underlying narratives, this metaphor of the body gives shape and coherence to Ebanks’ ongoing process of creative investigation, revealing the ways in which he has explored recurring subjects throughout his career, while simultaneously forging a path as a creative visionary whose voice is distinctly his own. Says the artist:
“First and foremost, I see myself as a Caymanian creative whose role is to share my work, and my interpretation of Cayman’s history and culture, with local audiences. While most of my art appears entirely abstract, each piece tells a story that is connected to one of the thirty-three series that are represented in this exhibition—exploring themes such as childhood memory and nostalgia; the energy and rhythms of carnival, or the inspiration I draw from Cayman’s landscapes and natural environment.”
Born in George Town, sculptor and painter Al Ebanks was awarded a scholarship from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) in 1995 to study sculpture with renowned Barbadian artist Karl Broodhagen, and later learned bronze casting in Tuscany through the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ Artists Away grant programme (2004). Ebanks co-founded the Native Sons artists collective in 1996 and was awarded CNCF’s Artistic Achievement Award in 2001. He has exhibited locally and abroad, including a solo show at the Jackie Gleason Theatre, Miami. NGCI exhibitions include the solo show Dancing to Art (2004) and numerous group exhibitions, among them Native Sons’ Fahive (2005), Native Sons – Twenty Years On (2016), Upon the Seas (2017), Island of Women: Life at Home During our Maritime Years (2020), and Reimagined Futures: 2nd Cayman Islands Biennial (2021).
Al Ebanks 33: Remnants of the Artist runs from 24 February to 18 May 2023 and is free and open to all. The National Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. For more information about the exhibition and the related programme of free events, lectures, workshops and tours please email education@nationalgallery.org.ky or visit https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/whats-on/.