Guyana Tea-Towel, 2024
Digital Illustration printed on Linen-Cotton Tea-Towel, 50cm x 70cm
I made this Guyana tea towel as a souvenir and way of pulling some of my drawings out of my ipad and into the real world. All of the drawings except five were drawn after my trip and were included in my newsletter commemorating it. I drew five new landmarks to be inclusive and representative of the many people who call Guyana home. Guyana is the land of six peoples; Amerindian (Indigenous), African, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and European. In the word Guyana, we have a map, Kaieteur Falls, Sugar Cane, our national dish Pepperpot, our national animal Jaguar and out national flower, the second largest waterlily in the world the Victoria Amazonica. Guyana is both South American and Caribbean.
Castellani House was built between 1879 - 1882 for a colonial botanist, it was later residence of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham and then became the country’s National Art Gallery in 1993. Georgetown Lighthouse was originally built by Dutch colonisers in 1817 so that ships could get easier access into the Demerara River, this red and white structure was later reinforced by British colonisers. Wichabai Ranch was a stunning place we stayed at in the South Rupununi Savannah, where we befriended Hydra the Capybara, tried to find some giant anteaters, rode on horseback, met Nick and learned how to make Cassava bread and swam in his lake. New Amsterdam Central Jama Masjid was declared open by President Dr Cheddi Jagan in 1995 and I wanted to include the many religions practiced in Guyana. The small plane with a portrait of Eddie Grant on it, is one we took to Lethem, a border town with Brazil where we landed before heading to
We didnt visit the Aishalton Petroglyphs but we did see some 6,000 year old petroglyphs while visited Iwokrama River Lodge in the Amazon Rainforest, and on the bank of the Essequibo River. Here we did many trips along the river (I saw a caiman, arapaima and some giant otters), did a canopy walk and saw puma pawprints in the rainforest. The 1763 Monument commemorates Cuffy, who lead a rebellion of Enslaved African people in the then Dutch colony of Berbice, on the Magdalenenberg Plantation. The green boat is one of many you can take from the mouth of the Essequibo River (20 miles wide on the coast) deep into the interior for about 630 miles. Umana Yana is the Wai Wai word for “Meeting place of the people” and it was created in Georgetown in 1972, it is the largest structure of its kind known as a benab a a conical palm thatched roof. St George’s Cathedral was completed in 1899 designed by Arthur Blomfield. Until 2003 it was the tallest wooden church in the world, and was mostly built with the iconic greenheart wood.
Roy Geddes Steel Pan Museum was such an amazing place to visit. Roy Geddes is an absolute legend for his amazing talents, and his community work bringing Steel Pan music to the youth.His house is an incredible archive, an explosion of colour, photos, art, objects and relics of his 60+ years playing and championing the instrument. Finally Bushy Park Mandir was a small, open air mandir on the bank of the Essequibo River. We chilled on the beach and ate fresh plantain chips and mango sour while people bathed in the water and danced to the sound system nearby. I love how this came together and hope that my fellow Guyanese people love it too.