Arte

At the end of my stay in the coutry I realize that not mentioning the Seychellois art would be an omission. I am very much impressed by the local crafts, as well as other visual and "musical" arts. The artists use local materials to create masterpieces. For example, the figurines below ("Rolling Stones") are made of the coral reef. Also, to manufacture musical instruments artisans use natural products such as a gourd of a calabash tree (see the 4th photo - the bow-like instrument with a wooden "bowl" that the artist is playing) or animal skin (see - Motya, my earlier blog entry). Egbert Marday, the sculptor/painter photographed under the red umbrella, uses metal waste to sculpt modern symbolic forms.
I am very much impressed with the use of light and color in the Seychellois paintings. Michael Adams (http://www.michaeladams.info/), of British origin, is a world-reknown artist. Recognized by the British queen, Mr. Adams for over 30 years has been living and painting in the Seychelles. When I first saw him at work I immediately thought of the workshop of Monet. Also the luminosity of his paintings has to do with the impressionism.

Michael Adams' workshop:

Those who arrive in the country willing to learn about the traditional music are immediately directed to Mr. Patrick Prosper, lecturer at the Music Conservatory in Mont Fleuri, Vicoria, and a true music aficionado. Below - Mr. Prosper playing the traditional bom, together with his students at the Conservatory.

In Mr. Prosper's office.

Among the instruments, a bom - mentioned earlier, a tambour maloya from Reunion, and a zez (like a big comb).

A guitar ensemble at the Music Conservatory, which I joined in the last weeks of my stay in the country, after I heard them play during a traditional music performance.

Egbert Marday and his work. Egbert is the author of many sculptures and a fountain that decorate the streets of Victoria. He also helped to equip the Natural History Museum with several sculptures, and is the author of the carvings on the Cathedral gate.

Basket manufacture is a widespread crafts tradition. Here, as presented at a crafts display at the Alliance Française in Victoria.

I fell under the charm of the paintings of Colbert Nourrice when I saw two of his works in a small gallery in Victoria. I had already met the artist before. Colbert's art is graphic and colorful. Very energetic, I'd say.

Here, the artist in his studio/gallery in Au Cap.