Che Lovelace art to aid Bocas Lit Fest projects

Supporters of the Bocas Lit Fest can get a chance to own a piece of collectible artwork by an acclaimed Trinidad and Tobago painter and also support literary development at the same time.

That's the aim of the official poster released by the Bocas Lit Fest to commemorate its 15th annual festival.

The limited edition festival posters, which feature a reproduction of a painting by artist Che Lovelace, signed and numbered by him, are being sold before and during the festival, a media release said.

Sales of the artwork will support the year-round work of the Bocas Lit Fest with writers and readers of all ages, the release said.

Each poster measures 18 x 24 inches, printed by Trinpad, official print partner for the 2025 Bocas Lit Fest. Lovelace donated the use of his 2022 painting Reader Close to Palms (acrylic and dry pigment on board panels) to the festival.

Born in 1969, Lovelace lives and works in his lifelong home of Trinidad. Rooted in the rural outskirts of Port of Spain, Lovelace considers his home country his ultimate subject. The flora, fauna, and figures of island life are ever-present in his tropical vistas, painted on wood panels split into quadrants.

His solo exhibitions include Che Lovelace: Bathers at Nicola Vassell Gallery, New York (2023); Nightscapes with Palms and Egrets at Various Small Fires, Dallas (2023); and Day Always Comes at Corvi-Mora, London (2023). Lovelace’s work is held in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, X Museum, and the Aïshti Foundation, among others.

Lovelace was recently awarded l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. The award, presented in Port of Spain on April 15 by French ambassador Didier Chabert, recognises eminent artists, writers, and other individuals who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world, the release said.

Apart from the thematic links between the poster image and the festival theme, Lovelace’s participation is also significant because this year marks the 90th birthday of his father, iconic author Earl Lovelace. A tribute to the elder Lovelace and his stellar literary career will be the formal opening event of the Bocas Lit Fest, on May 1.

The release said art collectors and Lit Fest supporters can also get a limited number of original 2020 Bocas Lit Fest posters – marking the 10th festival, featuring a drawing of the Old Fire Station by artist Jackie Hinkson – which are still available, along with a small number of prints from the earlier Festival Art series, featuring works by artists Chris Ofili (2011), Nikolai Noel (2012), and Wendy Nanan (2013).

For more info: https://www.bocaslitfest.com/festival-art/.