The story behind my art
My parents are of Mauritian heritage and I have been visiting the island since I was an baby. Many summer holidays were spent there, its an beautiful amalgamation of religions, cultures, landscapes and food into one culture and language i.e. creole. The island has been visited by the Arabs, Portuguese and colonised by the Dutch, French and British until its independence in 1968. During that time, many of slaves, indentured Indian and Chinese labourers and others who settled on the island as merchants became of an single identity. Therefore, Mauritius is really melting pot of mixed communities. My visit to the island this year in October 2024 was really in productive in capturing many of the beauty and culture that is associated with my heritage. Be free to check out my Instagram to further explore.
l'Histoire de Mauricien (the story of mauritians)
Inspired by an some old historical pictures that decorated my hotel room in Bel Ombre. The current site of the hotel was an sugarcane estate and what surrounded a village that is still here along the coastline. The first sketch was created in my hotel room that developed with further old pictures of sugarcane workers and labourers that originate from slavery and later on indentured labourers. I also took my own inspiration from knowing family whose livelihood was based on sugarcane and the general delight of breaking an sugarcane and enjoying it on the spot. There is an communal feeling that doesn't involve the modern world.
A tribute to my late grandmother, this is a depiction of her well-maintained exotic gardens in Mauritius. A tribute to my heritage as a child of Mauritian immigrants who came to the UK in the 80s. This particular garden has many fond memories of many generations that have come and gone. The main attraction is the bird of paradise plant/flower (Strelitzia), it’s an iconic plant in Mauritius and visibly eye catching due to its bold orange and purple petals. The beauty of this Mauritian garden is the availability and access to exotic fruits such as lychees, guava, mangoes and coconut still in abundance.