His foundation is in the Chalky Mount district on the east coast of Barbados where a long line of Barbadian potters, with roots and branches in Guyana and Trinidad, carried on the tradition of creation in clay. In 1987 one of their sons brought the higher end of this brand to Anguilla and, one year later, opened the Devonish Art Gallery. This year, Barbadian-born Anguillian sculptor Courtney Devonish issues a special invitation to his annual birthday exhibition opening on Saturday 4th February 2006.

Mr. Courtney Devonish

We know the art but what do we know of the man? In 1962, a youthful Devonish left high school and went to England to join his parents and siblings. The family comprised three sons and eight daughters. He was the second son. For one and a half years he worked as a student teacher in a primary school in Coventry before going to college and taught again for three and a half year after graduating from the Birmingham University School of Education. He had begun studies in History and Religious Education but in his second year had switched from History to Art, specializing in Sculpture.
The would-be teacher had decided to become an artist, against the urgings of his tutor who thought that his strongpoint was pottery. However, the artist thinks of pottery as a craft form more than an art form and expressed the difference thus: “Both lend themselves to creative expression but art is a higher form of creativity. When I’m burned out and exhausted I can make pottery but I cannot create art.”

The art is evident but what was it that had led to his interest in Religious Education and is there any connection between faith and art? The sculptor explained that he grew up in the church, as his father was the choirmaster of three different churches, viz. Gospel Hall (the Brethren), Baptist and Pentecostal. He was most influenced by the Pentecostals and today he worships at the Christian Fellowship Church. His first inclination was toward religious art and while many people see the sensuality, it is the spirituality of the art that evokes tenderness, gentleness and other soft, healing qualities.
This strong spiritual quality led to the creation of Touch Forms that have become Courtney Devonish’s signature. Touch Forms had their origin in his desire to help college friends to give up smoking. The big problem, these friends explained, was what to do with their hands? In Touch Forms Courtney’s aim was to create items of beauty – organic shapes centered on the female form and designed to induce touch. This explains the urge to caress that shoulder or that breast, the buttock or the pregnant belly.
Among the pieces he wishes he could have back are those with collectors in New York and one of a pregnant woman created for the Government of Barbados. For that piece he used a model from the 3rd month of her pregnancy up to her 9th month and still thinks of this as his most powerful piece. He also thinks of other large compositions – maternal images depicting the three elements present in all his work: shape, form and emotion that define the success of each piece. The piece at the Anguilla Social Security office is another powerful example.
When Devonish returned to Barbados in 1969 he embarked on his first business venture, the Design and Art Centre, in which a restaurant, boutique and record shop (specializing in reggae), provided cash flow for the art gallery. He also hosted a reggae chart radio programme and recalls the year when “Prince of Darkness” rode the charts for 6 weeks. He had no inkling then that one day he would end up in Anguilla. After 36 successful years in business, what keeps him motivated is that sense of satisfaction from every piece he creates. This year the Birthday Exhibition will also feature the gentle paintings of Antoine Chapon. The African inspired jewelry of Carrolle Devonish, Courtney’s wife and partner, will complement the offerings and maintain the spiritual connection as beads represent a diversity of world cultures.
In 2006 Courtney will concentrate on taking Touch Forms to a higher level, creating vases and other pieces without bases that can be held and touched freely. He still loves birds so there will always be bird forms but he doesn’t know yet what he will create from the last piece of Anguilla’s legendary mahogany tree. Perhaps it will become the magnificent centrepiece of the gallery of his dreams in which the fine art will be separated from the fine craft and each genre will occupy its own space. Anguilla has ample time prepare itself for the 20th Anniversary of the Devonish Art Gallery in 2008 and there is no better way to begin than visiting the Gallery this Saturday and meeting the artist.

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