Artist, lecturer and conservator, Philbert Gajadhar, is a ‘Special Person’

Mar 31, 2019 Features / Columnists, Special Person

---

By Rehanna Ramsay

“I see art as a catalyst for reuniting our people … bringing the people of Guyana together; as a catalyst of social cohesion, and I certainly believe that we can achieve it.”

It is said that art in its purest form is an expression of one’s self. And for Philbert Gajadhar, the idiom certainly proves true.
Among his most revered pieces is the recently unveiled Indian Arrival Day statue installed at Palmyra, Corentyne.
At a glance, the cast figure monument bears witness to the optimism of indentured labourers arriving on these shores for the first time.
An ode to the past and a culture of which he is familiar, the masterpiece was conceptualized by Gajadhar and fellow sculptor, Winslow Craig.
However, for Gajadhar, the monument is more than just a tribute to people of Indian descent.
The artist believes Guyanese of all ethnic backgrounds can identify with the piece of artwork which speaks to hope, struggle, and striving for betterment.
“I believe all and any group of people can identify with striving for betterment and the pursuit of happiness, which is the essence of the journey which brought indentured labourers to these parts.”
In fact, throughout his career, he has held that art is a catalyst for social cohesion.

“I see art as a catalyst for reuniting our people … bringing the people of Guyana together; as a catalyst of social cohesion, and I certainly believe that we can achieve it.”

‘PLANTATION LIFE’
But before his intricate paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles and tapestry pieces attracted scores of viewers in Guyana, the Caribbean Region and beyond; Gajadhar says his earliest life experiences set the perfect conditions to morph him into the craftsman that he is today.
“I grew up in the post-indentureship era. My parents Gajadhar John (alias) Albert Knights and Balasia Gajie, were second generation Guyanese of Indian descent. My ten siblings and I grew up at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara.”
Growing up in the quiet countryside locale, the young Gajadhar was exposed to life on the plantation.

The artist said that, “As a small boy and teenager, I would visit the [sugar] plantation at Versailles [also on the West Bank] and observe the people at work harvesting and gathering the cane for the factory.”
According to him, the plantation scenery created the perfect canvas for his creative impulses.
“I didn’t know this then, but life on the plantation would play an important role in my life as an artist.”
Yet, the young artist dreamt of life beyond the plantation. He loved art, but wanted to do something more with his life.
He would spend many of his days chipping away at pieces of wood, and using old cigarette crates as well as boxes to create little works of art.
He noted that a creative mind would always look at the ordinary and imagine the extraordinary—what it can become.
Gajadhar believes that in an artist’s mind, there is always a paradigm shift.
“In those days, toys were hard to come by. So for instance, at Christmas time, I would make hand-crafted wooden guns, slingshots, and other things to play with.”
Even with art on his mind, the young man found himself drawn to the plantation fields.
“After school, my mother sent me to take meals for my father in the backdam at Plantation Versailles, but instead of returning home abruptly, I would wonder about the estate and watch my elders.”

The men and women of mostly Indian descent, chopping and carrying bundles of cane on their heads to be transported to the factory, was hard work, indeed.
Yet, it somehow charmed the lad. Gajadhar said that he was somewhat in a bit of conflict with himself–wanting to be an artist or a teacher, but still he had a magnetic connection to the life on the sugar estates.
The day would soon come when he had to make a choice.
After completing, his studies at Goed Fortuin Primary School and West Demerara Secondary, he was faced with a decision.
“My father had secured a job at the estate for me. In those days, work was always available on the estate.”
The elder Gajadhar had worked on the plantation transporting the harvested sugar canes in tractors to punts. His son had a different path in mind—he had to choose, and naturally his pursuit of art won.
“I joined the teaching profession and went to teach in the Rupununi for two years before returning home. When I came back, I enrolled at the Burrowes School of Art.

At the art school, the Guyanese talent sharpened his painting and moulding skills. He also learnt a few new tricks to improve his work.
Gajadhar wanted to further his studies and went on to enroll in an Art programme at the University of Guyana. A few years later, he graduated at the top of his class.
Given his teaching experience, the best graduating student, at the same time was offered an opportunity to lecture to art students at the University. Gajadhar said he took hold of the opportunity, which led to what he calls his “big break.”

BIG BREAK
As a lecturer of the University, Gajadhar was given the opportunity to mentor hundreds of students.
He was also mentored. It was while working at the University of Guyana that Gajadhar said that he met Professor Doris Rogers.

Professor Rogers would change the way he viewed art and inspire a new line of creation for the artist and lecturer.
“She [Professor Rogers] had spent a lot of time in Africa and did work which was highly Afro centric. Her pieces

were amazing and I wanted to know how she was able to do it. She said to me one day that she can do it because this is who she is; she feels it; she knows it, because it is

all within her subconscious; she is an African. She said only you understand and can express what you feel.”

It was in this moment that the artist found a new perspective.
It dawned on Gajadhar that he is from the plantation; it is what he knows and ironically although he tried to move away from that life it is still embedded in him; it is struck in his psyche; it is who he is.
The plantation life and Indian upbringing ignited a new type of expression for the artist. He began to produce ethnically-influenced pieces, inspired by life on the estate in the post-indentureship period.
His pieces gained recognition and earned places at international exhibitions.
His work touched art lovers in neighbouring Suriname and Venezuela, and even the United States of America.
Together with Professor Rogers, Gajadhar showcased his paintings, murals and other pieces at events for the Organisation of American States, twice.
His pieces also captivated spectators at exhibitions at the Inter-Guiana festival.
“The exhibition included work from artists from Guyana; Dutch Guiana, (Suriname) and French Guiana. That was around the 1990s.”
Gajadhar would venture into more exhibitions through collaborations with his fellow artists.
He later teamed up with premier Guyanese artist and ethnic painter, Bernadette Persaud. Persaud also paints ethnically-inspired pieces.
As he continued to produce ethnically-inspired work, Gajadhar travelled abroad for work. He took a teaching job in Botswana where he was able to experience the conditions of the African people.
“I had always wanted to visit Africa, so I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Botswana.”
In 2006, Gajadhar put on another major exhibition inspired by his Botswana experience.
He fell in love with Africa and returned a few years later. This time, his journey took him to Zambia, (Southern Africa).
He delved into art, which showed the correlation between African and Indian cultures.

According to him, “In 2012, I did some research in Zambia. While in Zambia, I was able to observe the Bemba tribe and see the similarities between the African tribe and practices of Indian Hindu culture.”
Still, the Guyanese artist, lecturer and conservator stayed connected with his country and did voluntary work for the Ministry of Culture.
His work soon caught the attention of the then Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony. Gajadhar was later appointed chairperson of the Visual Arts Committee at the Ministry of Culture, where he continued to spearhead projects.
Dr. Anthony encouraged the artist to continue to do more art projects. He engaged in several community projects, which saw groups of young people meddling in artwork, painting murals and beautifying their recreational spaces.
“We worked with children from orphanages and others. They painted a number of public spaces including the seawalls in Georgetown,” he added.
His efforts earned him the Medal of Service—a National Award from the Government of Guyana.
Gajadhar continued to join forces with local artists to put on shows at Castellani House and the National Museum.
In 2015, the artist partnered with sculptor, Winslow Craig, to develop a design to commemorate the anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Guyana.
The Indian Arrival Monument project was sponsored by the Government of Guyana with support from the Government of India.
“So, we put our heads together and entered the competition. We created a maquette (a miniature figure of what the monument will look like) and our design was selected as the best from amongst the entries.”

THE MONUMENT
The design of the monument to commemorate the arrival of the first East Indian immigrants installed at Palmyra, Corentyne shows six figures in a forward thrust.
According to Gajadhar, it describes the lives of ordinary Indian people in their routine of everyday life with each carrying something of importance – their “jahajibhandal” (ship bundle) loaded with food, spices, herbs, clothing, jewellery, their gods etc., religious texts, drum, karaahi, tawa, grass knife (scythe), cutlass and rice plants.
He said, “The figures are presented in a straightforward realism with the human factor ever present. They are being led by Ram and Khan, the first two Indian Indentures to set foot in Guyana.”
He continued, “The rhythms of the figures are parallel and give a sense of quickening motion which conveys strong emotion.
One is keenly aware of life going on behind the facades of garments, jewellery, and gestures – life in all its loneliness, ugliness, affection and nobility. Within the form, there is a feeling of quiet intensity and psychological constraint.”
He explained that the subject is brought into close intimacy with the surface plane and consequently with the viewer.
“The melancholy heads, isolated in almost anonymous surroundings, reflect the introspection of the figures and celebrate a sympathetic bond of deep feeling among them,” Gajadhar added.
He said the visual record touches upon our national and ancestral interests.
“The sculpture contains some of the visual symbols associated with conditions that often beset man and presents to us a segment of reality, which ties our own lives to history that is reflected in the immediate drama of contemporary living.”

CURRENT PROJECT
At present, the artist resides in Palm Bay, Florida, USA, with his family. He has been working on a project to beautify to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Gajadhar, who prides himself in his work, is pleased to be associated with the venture. He revels in the fact that his work is admired by visitors from around the world, who touch these shores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

---