This is the website statement of renowned Jamaican painter and sculptor Bernard Hoyes whose work has for decades been a staple in Jamaican households, not to mention the contemporary art scene in Los Angeles where today he calls home. Canvases, prints, murals, greeting cards — these are where he ‘draws’ his inspiration.

Sculpting since the age of nine, and getting his first taste of professional art education at the Institute of Jamaica, Junior Art Centre, the visual artist describes his childhood environment as being spiritually charged — memories of backyard revival cult sessions at his paternal family’s house — a factor that perhaps continues to influence his work, which largely depicts elements of revival, celebration and praise. The artist himself suggests that he is but a storyteller attempting to convey messages to others, explaining, “Each painting seeks to make a connection… I use cultural and spiritual rituals as a defining force in a storytelling format. It speaks to all people, young and old, rich or poor. It seeks to transcend national boundaries. Art that does not transcend language and national boundaries fails at its creed.”

After relocating to the United States in his teens to live with his father, and to pursue his talent, the young artisan did not go unnoticed. He earned himself the Ford Foundation scholarship to the Art Students League in New York, before being offered another scholarship to Vermont Academy, in Saxton River, Vermont, to complete his studies in the Fine Arts. During this time, and following the culmination of his studies, Hoyes went on to present exhibitions in Kingston, New York, Vermont and California, before ‘hitting a brick wall’.

This was the eighties — a period of immense frustration for Hoyes, desperately seeking inspiration, which led to his revisiting ‘his roots’. The result? Perhaps his most celebrated collection — ‘The Revival Series’, considered by many to be the truest portrayal of Hoyes’ artistic vision.

“The subject derived from the Revival ceremonies began,” says Hoyes “as an attempt to document the cultural influences and its retention of the African tradition in Jamaica. Having spent my adolescence in the presence of the practice, I brought something special to the works that propelled them onto the international scene.”

The international scene certainly took notice and his work, The Passion of Hexing Rites (from ‘The Revival Series’) acted as inspiration for the writers of The Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World, who created a script around it (the image). This same piece piqued Oprah’s interest who, on first sight, personally called to acquire the piece, among a few others. American Grammy award-winning singer Natalie Cole and comedians Keenan Ivory Wayans, Richard Pryor and Steve Harvey are also fans and have collected pieces, not to mention the numerous local dignitaries here in Jamaica who display his work on their walls.

So how does one put to paper over 40 years of hard work and achievement? — By putting brush to canvas, of course! And, from his studio overlooking the canals in Amsterdam where he “…was so free and uninhibited that the spirit of the Jamaican culture went on tour…”, Bernard Hoyes has done just that. The artist was reminded of the assimilation of cultures everywhere, explaining: “When I began to work, the revival figures insisted on making their presence felt. I was having visions of the ceremonies in the market square, at the street corners, bridges, under the old trees and pathways. Europe as an old culture lends itself to mingling with other old cultures.”

Armed with numerous accolades and an illustrious career in the Fine Arts, this ‘Jamaican boy’ is returning home to present Revival Tours Europe — a collection of paintings and graphics by the artist created during his 2009 residency in Amsterdam. This will be Hoyes’ first show in Jamaica in three years. Over 20 new works by the painter will be mounted in an exhibition at the Mutual Gallery, which will open on Thursday, September 16, 2010.

About the collection he says, “They all hold strong meaning. I had to agonise over the creation, making decisions in composition and colour and conveying a narrative that speaks in prose or shouts harmoniously in rhyme. And then make a declaration — I am done.”

The exhibition will run for three weeks, after which Hoyes will return to the US where he is receiving an award from his alma mater Vermont Academy, at the end of the month.

But this won’t be the last we see of the acclaimed artist. In addition to churning out creative masterpieces, he is also working to create a printmaking atelier in Kingston. The self-help atelier will benefit artists interested in printmaking — especially etching and serigraph. Perhaps this is his way of ensuring the ‘revival’ of the art scene in his hometown.

(Photos provided courtesy of Bernard Hoyes)