Pen Cayetano’s sons of Belizelda reinterprets coat of arms

You still have time to catch the opening of a new exhibit by master painter Pen Cayetano at the Mexican Institute. Just in time for Garifuna Settlement Day on November nineteenth, Cayetano embraces the future but also captures images of his own past. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Opening tonight is the Sons of Belizelda, a cultural exhibit of Pen Cayetano that not only showcase traditional life but it also re-interprets the coat of arms in a beautifully grotesque way.

Pen Cayetano, Artist

“The two parties them. They are fighting against each other instead of coming together and unite for the purpose of the mass of Belize. I say it’s a story of the woman, Belizelda, a black woman and her husband from a Scottish descent. Well he have two sons, one come the lighter complexion than the other. After when the father died in an early age, these guys take over the power. And ever since the brothers took over the brother, whatsoever the other brother would do for the benefit of the mass of the country, the other brother will destroy. So in that movement, we also have violence happening there.”

Marcelino Miranda

Marcelino Miranda, Press Officer, Embassy of Mexico

“For years Pen Cayetano has been exhibiting his work here at the Embassy of Mexico. This is going to be the sixth time since 1996 and it is an important event for us because this is an internationally well-known Belizean artist who has exposed his work in Europe, in North America, in Mexico and he is a wonderful artist. His work is a refined representation of Belizean art. And at the same time, he has represented Belize in many cultural events.”

Pen, the musician paints his turtle shell band, which brings back iconic images of his youth three decades ago. The exhibit has premiered in Chetumal.

Marcelino Miranda

“This exhibition was presented at one of the most important museums in Yucatan that is the Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal. It has a fantastic recognition by the Mexican public. Thousands of people went to exhibit to admire the more than thirty pieces from Pen Cayetano. It had a great success in Chetumal especially for Mexican as it was an opportunity to look at Belize in another way—through the everyday life images of pen Cayetano and also to look at the colors and his technique.”

Pen Cayetano

Pen Cayetano, Artist

“At the bottom of the painting there is a woman receiving a newborn child. Belizelda was old, she was around, forty forty-five when she brought forth this last kid. Since she saw her two sons fighting against each other—all the time giving the mass to the Belizean people—so she had to get a next kid for the future to see if this newborn child willb e the one to redeem Belize from this kind of turmoil here.”

The Sons of Belizelda showcases a wide scope of Belizean life and even one painting of the artist musing at his Canvas. However, Pen’s craft no longer reflects only the past, but offers meaningful conversation about the future.  Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.