Dynamic creative duo exhibit at Horizon's

Artists Kibwe Loreilhe and Debra Evans enjoy a creative compatibility that is not experienced. Loreilhe's incorporation of non-traditional colours for certain pieces and Evans’ open-to-interpretation approach make for a good team.

Evans started her art journey after leaving her job as a graphic artist in advertising in order to express herself the way she wants. Though she has only been at it for around five years, she has already done 14 partnered exhibitions and has another coming up with Loreilhe.

“Two years ago, I didn’t know that I’d like metals and I didn’t know I could carve until maybe three years ago because I just wanted to try new things. You have a vision of what you want the finished product to look like and I think about what material I can use and how it would suit the piece. I never think, ‘I don’t know how to do this,’ I just think that I need to open and uncover it (the piece).”graphic design training, apply it to new materials and approach to art and create something that is mine.

Evans said she hasn’t been formerly trained and considered it a disadvantage, but as she grew, she saw that it was liberating as she is not being told how to use the materials.

“I need to understand the properties of the material, but I don’t want to be told how to use it. So that has opened doors for me because now, I think, ‘Why not use canvas with metal?’ or ‘Why not combine things I haven’t seen before?’”

She said coming from a graphic artist background for over 20 years didn’t contribute to her art since she’s had to unlearn all the training which involved being precise and symmetric. Her father was involved in art and she believes she does art because of and in spite of him as he tries to tell her what not to do while creating.

“What I’m trying to do with my work is take that graphic design training, apply it to new materials and approach to art and create something that is mine. While I give props to all the people who came before me, I think it’s nice to take that foundation and extend it to new materials. Why only copper? We have more materials available to us now.”

She said copper tends to be a bit tougher to use, but add other materials and all the details can be added to the piece with no limitations. She said Trini art doesn’t have to only be the panman or a hibiscus, but rather those can be inspirations upon which different artworks can be built.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, so my work encompasses the divine feminine because I’m all about taking steps and going in a new direction with things. I would like to be one of the women that opens doors for other women.”

Evans said she has been offered the space at the Horizon’s Art Gallery, Mucurapo Road, St James to exhibit solo, but turned it down because of the time it would take the create many pieces. She was glad for the partnership with Loreilhe and said they complimented each other because they were opposites.

Loreilhe, whose art journey started six years ago, told Sunday Newsday, “I started really small, I did small trinkets and gave them to gift shops in Tobago – I was there for a couple years. But I had high hopes and aspirations of doing bigger pieces.”

His work incorporates bright colours that are not typically used for pieces based on nature or for portraits, but he said as he grew, he moved away from the copying of reality though it’s his source. He calls this technique Modern Realism.

“So I would go and I’d see a garden, but how could I pull abstractions of this visually into this (a piece)? My expression doesn’t need to be bound up to a visual realistic picture.”

When asked why he started art, he said it’s something that always been a part of his life.

“I mean, look at little children, the first thing they start to do when they get more competences is they start to scribble, so I think it’s just natural to all humans.”

Loreilhe said everyone is creative in their own right and he uses the concept of humans being placed on earth to keep and dress it to justify this.

“If I wasn’t a painter and I was doing something else, I’d think, ‘How can I manipulate concrete?’”

Loreilhe said aside from doing his own pieces, he also teaches art at his studio in Chaguaramas.

The duo will exhibit from April 18-29, from 6.30 to 8 pm, and virtually from 5.30 pm.