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The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) presents Yonier Powery: Unstoppable Steps—the artist’s inaugural solo exhibition at their Esterley Tibbetts Highway venue. Featuring a survey of ceramic works that trace the artist’s personal and creative journey, the collection explores his ceaseless quest to challenge himself and ultimately perfect his craft.

Born on the Isle of Youth, Cuba, Powery’s formal studies in fine art instilled a sense of discipline and emphasis on the mastery of multiple techniques—a fact reflected in the artist’s proficiency across a variety of different media. His work draws on the aesthetic influences and the rich artistic traditions of Cuba and the broader legacy of European Surrealism across Latin America and the Caribbean. Acknowledging the deep ancestral associations that link the artist’s family, and those of many Caymanians, to the Isla de la Juventud (formerly the Isle of Pines), the works in this exhibition explore a fantastical world that is as much a product of Cuba and Cayman’s close cultural and economic ties to the sea as it is to the artist’s fertile imagination. Seeped in nostalgia for the maritime culture that for so long defined our way of life, Powery’s work also seeks to honour his artistic forebears, as the artist himself attests.

The nineteen ambitiously scaled, intricate ceramic pieces showcased in this exhibition– which present a small survey of his wider prolific output that includes painting and drawing —embody the boundless energy that has propelled the artist and his work forward. Here Powery seeks to pay homage to the past while leaving his own distinct mark on contemporary visual culture in Cayman. Says Powery, “This exhibit aims to pay tribute to all the art pioneers in the Cayman Islands, such as Bendel Hydes and Miss Lassie, whose work set the path for the development and evolution of an artistic movement throughout our Islands. Inspired by their commitment and passion for the arts, I followed in their footsteps and embraced my creative potential. My motivation derives from the responsibility an artist carries towards society, which fuels my continual urge to create. Each piece has a personal meaning that speaks to my life, my ancestors, my identity, and my human experiences, while also reflecting what it means to be part of a community.”

Yonier Powery: Unstoppable Steps provides an illuminating window into the artistic imagination of one of Cayman’s most unique artists. The exhibition will run from 25 November 2021 through 21 January 2022, Monday – Saturday, 10:00am–5:00pm, with on site and online events scheduled throughout. Admission is free. For more information about the exhibition visit https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/whats-on/exhibitions/yonier-powery/, for information about the artist www.yonierpowery.com ,  or follow the exhibition and related events via @natgalcayman.