Orlando Griffith’s journey back to purpose

BAVINA SOOKDEO

After more than two decades away from the canvas, Orlando Griffith, a visual artist and performance coach known in the art world as "Morpheus," is returning with his debut solo exhibition, Lucid: Dreams Don’t Sleep. Opening on November 21 at Arnim’s Art Gallery in Port of Spain, the exhibition explores themes of memory, grief and the quiet power of presence.

For Griffith, who resides in Port of Spain, the return to art was born from loss – and a blessing. “After being inactive creatively for more than 20 years, I returned to art with new purpose after my father’s passing in January of 2022,” he shared. “Before he passed, he affirmed my artist’s eye. That blessing reignited something dormant in me and art became a language for healing, remembrance and rediscovery.”

Griffith explained that his inactivity spanned over two decades because, around 1997-2000, when he was deciding his next step as a young adult, his parents didn’t see art as a viable career. “‘That have no money in it!’ they’d say. ‘Yuh could already do it, so why do it as a subject in school?’” he recalled. Looking back, he now understands that his father’s mindset came from a place of survival. “He was kicked out of his home at 14 and had to fend for himself from that age. For him, choosing art couldn’t sustain a family. So I changed direction and found sport as my outlet – a path that still demanded creativity, discipline and purpose.”

That path led Griffith to become a strength and conditioning coach and later to establish Aries Sports Performance, a business that allowed him to travel the world while helping others achieve excellence. “In his final days, I think my father had a change of heart,” Griffith reflected. “When he saw my paintings, something in him softened. He gave me his blessing to return to what I was always destined to do.”

Dreams don’t sleep

Asked what inspired the title Lucid: Dreams Don’t Sleep, the artist explained it reflects how dreams – both literal and symbolic – continue to live within us even when we’re awake. “Lucid speaks to awareness; being conscious within the dream” he related. “It’s about carrying memory, imagination and clarity through the fog of life and grief.”

Comprising 60 works – 30 paintings and 30 fine-art photographs – "Lucid" explores what Griffith describes as a meditation on stillness and presence. “Lucid invites viewers to slow down – to observe what they might otherwise overlook,” he said. “The works draw from moments in nature that become mirrors for internal landscapes: silence, loss, joy and resilience.”

As for Griffith’s creative process, it is rooted in reflection and gratitude, deeply influenced by memories of his father. “My walks with my late father, the way he’d quietly point out details in the world around us – that shaped how I see the world,” he reflected. “Grief became a teacher. Each piece, whether landscape or wildlife, is an act of gratitude for the time we shared and a reminder that love doesn’t disappear; it evolves.”

So what makes his work unique? He pointed out that many fine artists cannot do photography and many photographers cannot paint or draw.

As for how he decides which medium best conveys a particular idea or feeling, Griffith explained, “If I need immediacy and movement, I turn to acrylics. They allow me to layer energy and emotion quickly.” Photography, on the other hand, helps him hold stillness – “to frame silence before it drifts away. Both feed each other; sometimes a photo becomes a painting, sometimes a painting leads me back to the lens.”

For Griffith, the process itself is a meditation. “To capture the perfect shot, you must first become still,” he said. “In both mediums, presence is everything.”

His pieces capture quiet, reflective scenes in Caribbean nature. Questioned on what draws him to these moments of stillness, the visual artist explained that being Trinidadian isn’t only about Carnival, noise and high energy – it’s also about peace, reflection and presence. “I represent the other side of TT – the one that breathes quietly and allows space for contemplation,” he said.

When asked about the origin of his artistic name, "Morpheus," Griffith explained that it was a nickname first given to him by players on the national senior football team, where he served as a member of the technical staff from 2009-2010. The players joked that his bald head and ever-present sunglasses made him resemble Morpheus from the movie The Matrix. “I absolutely hated the name at first,” he admitted, “because I think I look better.” Over time, however, he grew to embrace it, recognising that it aligned with his creative identity. “We all know that Morpheus, in Greek mythology, is the god of dreams,” he said. “So following my dreams while embracing the God of dreams just made sense.”

First solo show

Preparing for his first solo show came with its own challenges with the hardest part being balancing emotion and execution. He admitted, “I wanted the work to stay deeply personal and honest while managing logistics, timelines and technique. I was learning as I created – producing, refining and trying to value my work even while being seen as an ‘unknown.’” He emphasised that holding on to that sense of worth and storytelling, while staying emotionally true, was the real test.

But the performance coach, credits discipline and focus as key to staying grounded. “Coaching taught me to trust the process; painting taught me to be still within it,” he said. “That same steadiness I ask of my athletes is what I now ask of myself at the canvas.”

Griffith shared that he envisions Lucid growing beyond a single exhibition, evolving into a series in which each chapter explores a different aspect of stillness, observation and the inner characteristics that define who he is. “Every phase would reflect another layer of myself – not just as an artist, but as a person learning to see, listen and evolve” he said. “Lucid began as an act of remembrance, but I see it becoming a lifelong conversation with presence.”

If his father could see the exhibition today, Griffith believes he would smile quietly and say, “Well done.” “He was a man of few words, but when he paid you a compliment it meant the job was executed perfectly” the visual artist shared.

Ultimately, success for Griffith isn’t about recognition – it’s about connection. “Resonance matters, but I also want people to feel something real when they stand before the work,” he said. “If the art stirs something – reflection, nostalgia, even discomfort – that means the connection is alive. That’s success to me.”

Griffith described debuting Lucid: Dreams Don’t Sleep at Arnim’s Art Gallery as a true honour. He admitted that at first, he didn’t think he was ready, but Arnim had been quietly observing his dedication – watching him visit regularly to frame pieces, purchase paints and canvases, and steadily build his artistic practice from the ground up. “One day he said he doesn’t usually invite many people to exhibit, because for most, it’s a one-time thing” Griffith related. “But he saw my consistency and believed it showed I was serious about the craft. That gesture meant a lot. It reminded me that diligence creates its own opportunities.”

As for what advice he would give to emerging Caribbean artists trying to find their voice, Griffith shared, “Don’t rush or even care to belong in the art scene. Build from what feels honest to you. Your accent, your reality, your inner dialogue – those are your superpowers. And trust that small beginnings can carry global weight.”

Lucid: Dreams Don’t Sleep starts on November 21 with an opening night event from 6 pm-9 pm and runs until December 5. The exhibition is open on weekdays from 9 am-6 pm, with extended viewing hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 pm-8 pm. The gallery will be closed on Saturdays, and the exhibition concludes on its final day with viewing hours from 9 am-2 pm.