Artist uses portraits to discover identity

Art invariably means different things to different people, but an exhibition that opened today at the Belize City House of Culture asks viewers to use the portraits on display as a window into themselves. News 5’s Janelle Chanona explains.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
They are the people we meet everyday: friends, family, strangers that make Belize?s cultural landscape vibrant and colourful.

The portraits are the work of forty-four-year-old Chris Emmanuel. When Emmanuel came to Belize in 2000, he was looking for scenes from his childhood in Grenada. He ended up finding himself.

Chris Emmanuel, Artist
?I think the search for identity started with me because I wanted to learn more about my heritage and I had a lot of different influences in my life as a child; and I started to realize the more I know about myself, the more comfortable I was with what I wanted to do with my life and that?s basically what it?s about. It?s about knowing yourself so you can get your own success in life.?

In the following months, Emmanuel started to compile the pieces that would become the ?I am a Belizean? exhibition.

Chris Emmanuel
?Most people are shy. Nobody wants to be painted because we are worried about are all our flaws and everything coming out. But most of the people, after I explained to them what I was trying to do, agreed that it was a good idea and allowed me to paint them. And it was very challenging, I?ll let you know, to get people to agree to that but I?m thankful to all of them for participating.?

The artist hopes the collection will inspire all Belizeans to appreciate their heritage.

Chris Emmanuel
?In today?s world we live in a total mix culture. It doesn?t matter where you are from, you will find through your heritage there?s more to you than you think. And the underlying message is to be aware that you are part of this whole thing so that we can, together as a group realize that no matter who you look at, there?s a reflection of you in there somewhere. You might not know it, but you are all people, the same, trying to strive for the same thing or trying to do same thing: get and enjoy your life.?

Janelle Chanona for News 5.

The paintings are for sale with the subjects having first preference. Emmanuel says the collection will tour the country and will be exhibited in the United States in the coming months.