Connecting with Culture for Saint Lucia Independence
Love, Oh Love, Our Island Home
Last year, to commemorate Saint Lucia’s 40th Independence, a new monument was unveiled with great ceremony in the heart of Castries. Created by a Saint Lucian sculptor with a name already established in the Caribbean and international contemporary art world, the cast bronze work of civic art was inspired by the underpinning vision and theme of the celebrations.
Jallim Eudovic attended the public unveiling ceremony to speak of the Saint Lucia depicted in ‘All In’, a visceral embodiment of our past and our future in the form of four men strenuously rowing an invisible boat against an unseen ocean.
“This is your sculpture, Saint Lucia...symbolic of how far we’ve come and where we want to go to,” said the artist, whose wood, bronze and marble sculptures are rooted in Saint Lucian and Caribbean culture but enjoy international appeal.
He has exhibited in various parts of the world, including Martinique, Europe, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and Africa, creating sculptures for public spaces in several Chinese cities where he has erected seven monuments to date.
In 2017, The St. Lucia Star Newspaper called Eudovic "The Caribbean’s Leading Contemporary Sculptor", renowned for his "minimalist and conceptual wooden block sculptures. His highly-skilled craftsmanship shows exceptional and a one-of-a-kind talent. His sculptures are layered with creative force, Caribbean wit, spirituality and poetry."
Eudovic's Art Studio has been an institution of artistic significance in Saint Lucia for decades, so Jallim was always exposed to a high level of creativity by his artist father, Vincent. Creating his own sculptures from age five, he has made a successful career out of his passion.
“My father’s art studio was my playground,” he told the interviewer two years ago. “I also dabbled in paints, poetry, and theatre. I was enveloped in the world of creativity at a very young age.”
Despite his creative roots and influences being deeply entrenched in Afro-Caribbean history and art, Jallim Eudovic is very much a 21st century type of artist, having made his name internationally by creating civic monuments like 'Circle of Life' in China's Zhengzhou Sculpture Park in 2017.
One of three winning-designs a competitive bid from the Municipal People's Government, Jallim's bronze sculpture was part of an urban culture programme intended to integrate art into public life: His other works in China's urban parks include 'Leap' in Changchun, and 'People of the Sea' in Fuzhou.
At the unveiling of his Saint Lucia Independence 40 monument, Jallim Eudovic said: "I stand before you...humbled to be given the opportunity to channel the ethos of our collective histories, our ancestry, who we’ve become and what we aspire to be.
"I have a deep and profound love for my people that grows stronger whenever I travel, as it becomes very clear...that we Saint Lucians are unique among all humanity. Our wit, culture, language, way of life, attitude, are like no other. The Saint Lucian person is a noble person.”
Jallim Eudovic recently became the 2020 Laureate for Arts & Letters in the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards, the only programme in the region which seeks out and rewards outstanding nominees in Arts & Letters, Public & Civic Contributions, Science & Technology and Entrepreneurship. It has been in existence since 2005 and named 43 Laureates from throughout the region.