Cayman’s first internationally acclaimed artist has local exhibit
Loop Cayman
Bendel Hydes’ new exhibition, Bendel Hydes – A Retrospective, is on display at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
The artist was the first Caymanian artist to attend art school and the first to receive international acclaim – representing Cayman at such prestigious events as the Sao Paolo Biennial, as well as participating in many critically acclaimed international Caribbean art exhibitions. Importantly, while based in New York, he accelerated artistic debate in the Cayman Islands and tirelessly advocated for an official cultural infrastructure when there was none. This led to his helping co-found the Cayman National Cultural Foundation and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Drawing on the largest assembly of the artist’s work to date – with 70 artworks on exhibit, and 130 more in the accompanying catalogue – the exhibition charts the evolution of his studio practice across half a century of creativity, offering an unprecedented survey of the life and work of the founding father of Caymanian art.
This exhibition project – which has involved documenting and photographing over 400 artworks! – is a chance to celebrate an artist pioneer and thank him for the role he has played in developing the thriving art community we enjoy today.