Fish
photo: Michael Hunt
/Bookcase
photo: M arc Lee Steed, courtesy International Trade Centre
W ID E WORLD OF CRAFT
%
The Dominican Republic
St. Kitts
«
Antigua
IN M U C H O F T H E W E S T I N D IE S , T H E A R T S
a n d c r a f t s s c e n e b le n d s B r it is h a n d A f r i c a n
t r a d it io n s , a n d n o w h e r e h a s t h is b le n d in g o f
c u lt u r e s c o m e a liv e m o r e th a n a t C a r ib e lle
B a t ik , o n t h e is la n d o f S t . K i t t s . T h e is la n d
is s m a ll - o n ly 6 8 s q u a r e m ile s a n d f e w e r
th a n 3 5 ,0 0 0 r e s id e n t s - a n d is b lis s f u l ly
a b s e n t t h e g e n e r ic t o u r is t fa ç a d e s e e n in
m a n y C a r ib b e a n v a c a t i o n s p o ts . I t ’s a p la c e
c r e a t e d a n d e n jo y e d b y t h e lo c a ls .
T h e C a r ib e lle w o r k s h o p a n d r e t a il o u t le t
w a s s t a r t e d b y E n g lis h m a n M a u r ic e W id -
d o w s o n m o r e t h a n 3 0 y e a r s a g o , t u r n in g th e
w a x - r e s is t fa b r ic - d y e in g t e c h n iq u e t h a t h e
h a d le a r n e d f r o m t h e T o n g a in Z a m b ia in t o
a d is t in c t ly K it t it ia n a r t fo r m .
W h e n W i d d o w s o n fir s t a r r iv e d in S t .
K i t t s , t h e r e w a s n ’t m u c h o f a n a r t c u lt u r e .
“ I n f a c t , t h e s c h o o ls d id n ’ t e v e n h a v e a r t
as p a r t o f t h e c u r r ic u lu m ,” h e s a y s . H e p u r -
c h a s e d h is t o r ic R o m n e y M a n o r , a n e s t a t e
o n c e o w n e d b y o n e o f T h o m a s J e f f e r s o n ’s
f o r e b e a r s , a n d b e g a n t r a in in g lo c a ls - m a n y
o f w h o m m a d e t h e ir liv in g c h is e lin g g r a v e l
f r o m r o c k - in t h e c r a ft .
W h e t h e r in A f r i c a , t h e F a r E a s t , o r th e
C a r ib b e a n is la n d s , b a t ik is t r a d it io n a lly
c r a f t e d u s in g n a t u r a l d y e s m a d e f r o m lo c a l
b e r r ie s a n d m in e r a ls , a n d t h a t h o ld s t r u e a t
C a r ib e lle . “ O u r a p p r o a c h t o b a t ik is u s in g
t h e t r a d it io n a l fo r m a t o f m o lt e n w a x , ”
W i d d o w s o n s a y s , “ b u t w i t h o u t a n y in h ib it -
in g f a c t o r s o f t r a d it io n ” ; t h e ir p a le t t e s a n d
d e s ig n s a r e p u r e C a r ib b e a n .
«V
Dominica
Josnel Bruno of
Haiti crafted this
bookcase (2011)
from recycled
metal and wood.
feb/mari
2
american craft
133
