The Caribbean has produced many exceptional visual artists. Here are the top five Caribbean master painters you should know.

Bernadette Persaud (Guyana)

Lotus of July by Bernadette Persaud via Stabroek News.

Born in Berbice in 1946, Bernadette Persaud is one of Guyana’s most well-known artists and educators. She began painting in the 1980s after feeling compelled to express herself through a creative medium. In 1985, she became the first woman to win the Guyana National Visual Arts Competition. Her artwork focuses on socio-political subjects and historical consciousness.

Mallica ‘Kapo’ Reynolds (Jamaica)

Happiness in Mango Walk by Mallica ‘Kapo’ Reynolds. Image via the National Gallery of Jamaica.

Mallica Reynolds was born in 1911 in St. Catherine, Jamaica. He was a self-taught intuitive sculptor and painter who strove to evoke spiritual, living forces through physical objects. He was a bishop of the revivalist sect, and many of his early work carries religious themes.

Boscoe Holder (Trinidad and Tobago)

The Head Tie by Boscoe Holder. Image via Avisca.

Trinidadian artist, Boscoe Holder was a jack of many trades. By age nine, he was performing piano concerts for wealthy clients, and formed his own dance company in his late teens. He moved to England in 1950 to focus on his dance career, where he met his future wife Sheila Clarke. Eventually, Holder returned to Trinidad where he made a name for himself as one of the country’s finest visual artists. His work is influenced by the Afro-Caribbean experience, and often features young black women in sleek dress.

Gladwyn K. Bush (The Cayman Islands)

He is Risen by Gladwyn K. Bush via the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.

Intuitive artist, Gladwyn K. Bush was born in South Sound, Grand Cayman in 1914.  She began painting at the age of 62 after she claimed to experience religious visions. While she painted on both canvas and glass, she is best known for covering the floors, windows and walls of her home in religious and seafaring imagery. Her home is now a heritage site called ‘Mind’s Eye’; guided tours can be arranged through the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. (Clonazepam)

Stan Kuiperi (Aruba)

Dushi Tera by Stan Kuiperi. Image via Repeating Islands.

Stan Kuiperi was born in Aruba in 1954. His work is characterised by earthy oranges, reds and blues that are reminiscent of the Aruban landscape. Through painting, Kuiperi tackles issues of socio-economic growth, and the destruction of the environment due to development.

Want to explore the works of these master painters’? Search the Find Yello directory for local art museums near you.

Sources: Culture Trip, 101 Art Gallery, Best of Trinidad, Guyanese Girls Rock, Caribbean Beat, National Gallery of Jamaica, National Library of Jamaica, Repeating Islands, and ArtQ