Nassau, Bahamas -
The
D'Aguilar Art Foundation is pleased to present in commemoration of the
Second Anniversary of the Haitian Earthquake
Poto
Mitan
by Chantal E. Bethel.
The exhibit
opens to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 17th, 2012
by appointment :
daf_art_events@yahoo.com.
Artwork by Chantal E. Bethel
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Avid art enthusiast, Barbara Chester of Grand Bahama attended the official opening and had this to share about the exhibit, "It's a deeply moving body of work honouring the people of Haiti
and reminding us that in life, where there is love and faith, there is
also HOPE!
I believe Chantal has reached a pinnacle with this work of her
heart; her brush seems to have stroked a mix of paint and compassion
into her creations. She has so perfectly shown the pain, despair and
hopelessness of the people; her people!"
"Around her 'altar' ( which is possibly her 'Poto
Mitan' ) one of her paintings walks us through the ruins of the
beautiful Cathedral where only a skeleton remains pointing at what's
left! The bottom step around the square is made up of tiles carrying
Sacred and Religious prayers and symbols of the different faiths in
Haiti; joining together in the unity of an unbroken square," said Chester.
"The exhibition, whilst exquisitely depicting the
tragic devastation of land and limb, also portrays the hope and faith in
the faces of the survivors; their eyes all carrying the dreadful pain
of suffering, but shining with the inner light of love, belief and hope."
"These truly beautiful paintings and artifacts touched my heart
deeply, as they did the hearts and emotions of many of the very large,
prestigious gathering. We all put our prayers in the beautiful prayer
bin, on top of which was written the Lord's Prayer in English, French,
Latin and Creole; and we made our donation by purchasing
Chantal's
beautiful commemorative book of the Poto Mitan exhibition and writings,
dedicated to the victims of the Jan 12 2010 earthquake in Haiti."
Chantal E.Y. Bethel was born in Haiti and at the age of 12 she left
her native land to join her mother in Brussels, Belgium where she was
educated. Nine years later she relocated to the Bahamas where her father
had settled fleeing the Duvalier regime of Papa Doc and his fearsome
tontons macoutes.
Bethel, whose education in Business Management led her to a 15
year career at the Lucayan Medical Center, describes her metamorphosis
into an artist as a "mid-life renaissance". The guidance she received
through various international workshops in the early 1990's and the
mentorship of acclaimed Bahamian artist/sculptor Antonius Roberts
inspired her to grow as an artist. She went on to pursue further
studies at Haliburton School of the Arts in Canada.
Today Chantal Bethel is an accomplished artist who has received
international recognition for her work. A noted painter, her fluid
style complements her signature palette which is made of vibrant, warm
and rich colors. Since 2006, she has extended her artistic vision to
sculpture transforming the crown shaft of the palm tree into sculptural
medium. In 2007 she created her first art installation which was
successfully exhibited at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas where
her work has been selected for many of the National biennial juried
exhibitions since 2003.
She received awards of excellence in the realm of Fine Art in
Washington and the Bahamas. In 2001 she was honored by Miami Children's
Hospital for her support of children issues through art.
She has exhibited extensively in the Bahamas and the United States of America since 1994.
She works on the Island of Grand Bahama island where she resides with her husband and children.
