Grand Bahama Island – “Let there be light…”, and there was… Claudette Dean’s exhibition,
Lumiere (French for “light”) opened with a gala reception on Friday, April 25th at the Freeport Art Centre. Hundreds came to bask in this light of what many agree is Dean’s best show to date. The Centre was transformed by candles, sunflowers, rich foliage and of course the impressive art work.
Dean’s large paintings hung majestically on the walls, each unique, all sharing the theme of “light”, with her smaller beautiful
Sunergy Wheels visually linking the entire exhibition. The ribbons of energy from the
Sunergy Wheels, along with the roots of plants and trees in other paintings, almost dance off the canvas and one cannot help but be happily affected by the vibrancy of Dean’s work.
Each painting depicts some reflection of the artist’s own life and path; suns, moons, star signs, and elements of nature all coming together to show the oneness and circle or cycles and phases of life.
Several of the paintings are done on multiple canvases, put together like puzzle pieces, with the show’s signature piece, “
Luna”- a perfect example of this technique- beaming gloriously over the evening.
Where Lotus Bloomis almost an illusion, as one at first may only see the lotuses on the water…then after looking further, one can see the lotus blooms are actually women’s faces, and the roots below the water are women dancing.
Phases of the moon,
Luna, as a well as in
Gestation, both depicting phases of the moon, and represent the feminine.
What is the light, without the dark? This duality is also present in the exhibition through the phases of the moon and in her piece
Where the Darkness Meets the Light.
The artist has been quoted in saying,
“As an artist I am endlessly intrigued by the human figure, the human psyche, the human spirit, and all of their multifaceted intricacies; this is what you will see sprawled across my canvases. I take a very modern approach, bold in color and design, ever searching for the level of the sublime.”
“To be able to share my particular brand of beauty, through my art, with a world that is so much in need of beauty, is a privilege that I hold near and dear to my heart. Painting has provided me with a means to better define myself and the comfort of knowing my place and function in the grand scheme of things.”
Dean most certainly defines herself in
Lumiere! Grand Bahama residents, young and old, are encouraged to take the opportunity to become immersed in this exhibition. “Lumiere” will be on display until May 17th from 9:00 am until 5:00pm, Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday at The Freeport Art Center.
All photos: Dave Mackey
About the Artist: Claudette Dean obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor and continued her studies in French Literature at the University of Nice in the South of France. She has studied with acclaimed Bahamian artist and sculptor, Antonius Roberts, and in the U.S. with Selina Trieff, one of the original artists from the New York based figurative expressionist movement of the early 1950s.
Dean has exhibited extensively in The Bahamas since 1995, as well as in South Florida, New York City and New England. Having enjoyed a good measure of success in all of her major exhibitions, she can be found in several major collections in The Bahamas and abroad. Notably, a piece of her work, “A Multicolored Culture” was acquired by the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, as a permanent part of the country’s national art collection.
Dean is a member of The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas and a founding member of STARTS, a non- profit organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art on the island of Grand Bahama.
Dean has exhibited extensively in The Bahamas since 1995, as well as in South Florida, New York City and New England. Having enjoyed a good measure of success in all of her major exhibitions, she can be found in several major collections in The Bahamas and abroad. Notably, a piece of her work, “A Multicolored Culture” was acquired by the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, as a permanent part of the country’s national art collection.
Dean is a member of The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.
