Local Barbadian artist Ras Daniel is the creative mind behind the Retired Slave Apartheid 1937 Exhibition in Barbados. The exhibition, which was launched on Thursday, February 09, 2023, is being held at the Queen’s Park Gallery in Bridgetown.
The timing of the exhibition reinforces the importance of African and Caribbean excellence in the face of hardship. And, seeing that February is African Awareness Month, the collection of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works is a celebration that should be viewed by all.
This showcase of artistry is a valuable lesson on aspects of Barbados’ history. One of the lessons is the fact that after slavery was abolished on the island, life did not improve for the once enslaved people. Instead, what followed was 100 years of rough social and economic conditions. Thus, frustrations about life in the country in the aftermath of the slave trade boiled led to the 1937 riots.
Ras Daniel explains that the collection shares the stories of the people who suffered during this period in Barbados. There are tales of “human suffering: hunger and attendant health conditions, horrific housing, child labour, rape, legal injustices and overall inhumanity.”
The exhibition which runs until Thursday, March 02, 2023, is free to the public. The Queen’s Park Gallery is open Monday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
About Ras Daniel
Ras Daniel is an art teacher and tutor who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Barbados Community College (BCC). He has participated in many exhibitions in Barbados and the Caribbean. His work, which explores themes of slavery and Caribbean society, uses a variety of colour, textures, and symbols. To see more of Ras Daniel’s work, please visit the Ras Ishi Collective Commission in Golden Square Freedom Park.
Source: The National Cultural Foundation Barbados
Image: What’s On in Barbados
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