CubaPLUS Magazine

I did a portrait of my late grandad which is my favorite; he used to like to tell stories. As an artist, &I want to create a series of paintings detailing these stories," said Bevan Allicock, a portrait artist. For Bevan, art is more than capturing someone’s features or emotions, it is part of history.

Bevan is twenty-one-years old, he lives in Surama, Region Nine. His siblings are now 8.

Aside from common blood, he and  his family also share an artistic talent.

He is the son of Marcella, a designer and Bertrand Allicock, an architect (also a mechanic). In addition, all of Bevan’s seven siblings are artists. If the name Allicock sounds familiar, it is because he is the cousin of popular designer Vanda Allicock.

Having drawn all his life, it is impossible for Bevan to recall what exactly was his first piece.

However, as regards his first outstanding piece, he remembers it as clear as day. His father had arrived home tired from work and gone to sleep. Quietly, Bevan’s mother went to him, encouraging him to draw his father while he slept. &This is one of my most beloved pieces. My father was blown away when he woke up and saw it," reminisced Bevan. After his grandfather passed on, Bevan did a drawing of him which he has since framed as a present for his grandmother. However, the drawing is only part of the present, as he wishes to give her a self-portrait as well.

Bevan explained that to obtain a diploma in art from Burrowes, students are required to attend four years of school or one could also do a certificate in art which requires three years of learning. Once he returned home, Bevan planned to help the children in Surama.

There are many with artistic skills in Surama, Bevan said. He noticed that before the pandemic, when tourists often visited the Surama Eco Lodge, they always looked for culture and art. Guyana, he added, could benefit from more galleries which would be a boost for the tourism sector. The local art scene entirely welcomes development, not only in the resources as regards more art institutions.

So far, the artist has sold an average of 25 drawings and paintings to clients residing in Georgetown, Lethem, and one as far away as Norway.

I’m now a freelance artist who is pursuing the dream of inspiring young creatives like myself and working towards having my very own art studio, and also sharing my art in the tourism industry," says Bevan.


Bevan can be followed on
@bevarts58
Bevan Allicock