Recharting The Ruin
Last week (Tuesday 11th, 2025) I attended the latest exhibition of the work of master artist LeRoy Clarke at Castle Killarney (Stollmeyer’s Castle).
I spontaneously decided to visit the exhibition since I was up and out early for the BP Breakfast talk about sponsorship of steelpan at the Energy Conference. The exhibition had just been extended.
I literally opened the exhibition, and had the space to myself for just under an hour as I wondered around. It only takes up the ground floor of the castle. I knew of Clarke, but I really did not have a frame of reference for his scope of work. I wasn’t aware of his range.
While I expected his paintings in oil and acrylic, with their angular and abstract figures. Even in those I did not expect the figures, women, faces and how they spanned decades.
I was therefore surprised and really taken by his pen drawings. The fine details. The penmanship, and the fact that he was a writer. There were three of these pen-poetry pieces from which the exhibition takes its name.
As a new fan of poetry his poem Black Truth will stick with me. It made me think about the bleak, beauty that can exist the Caribbean as we live with the constant wanting for other things. We rarely enjoy the uniqueness of what we have because we were designed to be ashamed.
I welcomed seeing his journals. Again, his gorgeous writing, disjointed thoughts. As someone who is trying to develop a creative practice, his journals were inspirational. A reminder that you just need a get a simple copy book and jot down your thoughts. Or doodle them. These weren’t meant to be displayed, but there is nothing embarrassing about them either.
I met Clarke, maybe a year before he died. He was frail, but mischievous. He had come to Y Gallery to see an Eddie Bowen exhibition. I knew he was great, but didn’t know why. This collection helped close that gap a bit.
Recently, one of his paintings Ogun, Eye Shaped Worlds was repatriated to Trinidad from Guyana. It had been carelessly stored in the basement at a building. It was supposed to be given pride of place at Caricom’s headquarters. The prime minister was given it during an official visit. It’s now displayed at his official residence: The Diplomatic Centre.
Recharting the Ruin has been extended to March 8th, 2025.