Three local artists are hoping to captivate Vincentians with their contemporary pieces, which will be showcased this week at an exhibition, held at the Rosemary and Thyme Restaurant.{{more}}

Abigail Haynes, Roland Layne and RoseMarie Lewis will host an exhibition, beginning today, in which their original artwork will be on display and can be purchased by the public.

Haynes, who describes her work as “the captivation of imagination unrestricted by reality”, explained that the exhibition seeks to showcase the talent that she and her friends possess, as well as to raise funds for her studies.

The artist will be pursuing her studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, as part of the programme of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC).

The artists told SEARCHLIGHT that the exhibition will take on a casual format, in which persons would be allowed to come and view the artwork.

“Once the restaurant is open, they can come and view the work. It’s not an official opening per se, because we’re not having all the speeches and ceremony,” Haynes said.

“Just so persons know that they can start viewing at 3 o’clock. We would also have a bit of snacks on hand as well”.

Although there are distinct differences in their pieces, the artists collectively describe their work as contemporary.

“Even though our methods and our techniques are like taking from the past, we’re also adding what is new into it,” Lewis explained. “On a whole, the compositions, you can see contemporary methods being used”.

In addition to private commissions, the three artists have worked together on various murals in St Vincent.

Layne, who is an Art and History teacher at the St Vincent Grammar School, worked on a mural at the Community College in 2005. The artist has a Bachelor’s degree in Printmaking, which he attained at the Eduardo Abela School of Fine Arts in Cuba.

Lewis has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and is employed as a graphic designer at the Education Media Unit. The young artist describes her work as “a simplistic sophistication, characterized by a force unjustifiable”.

Haynes hopes that her work would inspire persons to look at everything around them differently and to appreciate different perspectives and ideas.

The three are encouraging persons to come out and view the exhibition.

The exhibition will be officially open today from 3 p.m, to 6 p.m. and will continue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until Saturday, August 17. The Rosemary and Thyme Restaurant is located in Middle Street, in the building which formerly housed Club 28.