News

Billed as "the region's largest contemporary retail art fair," the 8th edition of the World Art Dubai (WAD) event featured over 4,000 works of art from more than 50 countries. This year's event, with the theme of “Unplug Yourself”, coincides with Expo 2020 Dubai and took place from 16 – 19 March. The art fair included painting, prints, sculptures and street art. For the first time, WAD also featured digital art at a “non-fungible token” (NFT). Considered the region’s largest affordable retail art fair, prices for the art pieces ranged from US$100 to US$20,000.

Caymanian artists who displayed artwork at the event included five of the "Native Son" art collective members, including Al Ebanks, Chris Christian, Gordon Solomon, Randy Chollette and Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette. Other Cayman-based artists promoted included Jerome Wilson, Kerwin Ebanks, Yonier Powery and Jason Kennedy. Also featured was a large collection from Shane “Dready” Aquart, who attended the event in person.

World Art Dubai provided these artists with a second exhibition opportunity within the context of the Cayman Islands’ presence at the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, to display their artwork to an international audience. In February, art was a focus of one of the three "Cayman days" at the U.K. pavilion, with works showcased from each of the ten local artists. During that day, artist Jason Kennedy "live painted" a large canvas that highlights the shared maritime history between Dubai and the Cayman Islands.

"As I do in Cayman, the paints are washed with local seawater," Kennedy said in an Instagram post. "This piece will stay behind in Dubai, to be auctioned off for charity."

The local artists will have their work showcased once more at the final Cayman Islands day on Tuesday, March 22. Cayman's Expo-related activities wrap up on March 24 with a second rendition of "Taste of Cayman" at The Ritz-Carlton Dubai.

Cayman has partnered with the United Kingdom to fully occupy its Dubai 2020 Expo pavilion space once a month from January through March. In addition to the three Cayman days at the U.K. pavilion and the two "Taste of Cayman" events, Cayman’s delegation participated in the Dubai Boat Show from 9-13 March and the live broadcast of a turtle release from Governor's Beach on Grand Cayman on Commonwealth Day, March 14, in association with the Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre.

Cayman Islands Expo Representative Alee Fa’amoe observed, "Through the works of some of our amazingly talented local artists, we can convey so much about the Cayman Islands." He continued, "We can share aspects of our maritime heritage, the physical beauty and unique attributes of our islands, our diversity and our artistic imagination. For those reasons, having such a strong showing of our local art has been an important aspect of our presence at Expo 2020 Dubai.”