Chester Francis-Jackson, ContributorFEBRUARY 14 is regarded
universally as Valentine's Day the day for love and for lovers, a time for the public expression of love. To this end, the day is
usually festooned in the colours of red and white; the food and elixir of choice being chocolate and fine wines, as lovers play to the commercial theme of the day, and to the hilt!
Mind you, not unlike Christmas day, New Year's Day, Good Friday etc., for those born on any of these universally celebrated calendar days, their birthdays are almost usually completely eclipsed by the commercial celebrations of these days, leaving little or no place for the commemoration of the birthdays, of those born on these days.
A MODEL IS BORN
And so it was, last Monday, a day that saw the celebrated model and statuesque beauty, Romae Gordon, celebrating her birthday, but first and foremost it was also the day the former international modelling sensation was born,
so celebrate her and her love, pop-icon Kingsley Cooper, did, and with mucho gusto!
February 14 is also the birthday of master ceramist and sculptor extraordinaire, Gene Pearson, and to mark the occasion, his family, friends and admirers came together and hosted a birthday party with a difference, that was so fine, it will long be remembered for its style, oomph and artistic pizzazz!
GENE PEARSON IS BORN
Now, for those of you in-the-know the artistic elite and culture vultures the name Gene Pearson is no stranger, in fact, it is synonymous with haute-couture sculpting. For those not yet familiar with the name and style of this unmasked genius, his is a body of work that has spanned the decades of the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and now, is the dominant artist of this decade!
A ceramist who has made his personal art form an internationally acclaimed and celebrated style. His coveted and sought after negroid busts and masks somehow manage to capture the very soul of Africana. Each and every creation hints, and very strongly, of the noble features of the Eritreans that they transcend ethnicity and or race, of any kind. They are all magically autobiographical expressions, in that they are the repositories of his serenity and portraits of divine humility!
Luvs, the artist's brilliance has garnered an enthusiastic collector following internationally. His brilliance has been so recognised by the GM of the Hilton Kingston Hotel, Frank Rosheuvel, who upon discovering the works of the master ceramist/sculptor some years ago, has not only become an avid collector, but patron and sponsor. A fact that has led to the Hilton Kingston Hotel boasting a fabulous garden showcasing the works of the celebrated ceramist.
It is in his continuing role to provide support and national exposure to the work of the artist, that on Valentine's Day, the Hilton Kingston Hotel, under the auspices of its GM Frank Rosheuvel and his elegant wife Lorraine Rosheuvel, hosted what was truly a birthday party with a difference for the Pearsons in a VIP cocktail pre-show reception. A chorus of nyabinghi drummers, drummed their way into the
consciousness of the august
body of socialites, art lovers and aficionados, in attendance at the birthday reception/art exhibition.
Dears, it was all that, and then some! Hosted in two parts, with a VIP reception in petite ballroom number three, as the curtain raiser, and the actual exhibition itself mounted in the St Ann Suite, the affaire was every inch a social and artistic success and then some!
EARTH AND FIRE
Dubbed, the "Earth and Fire Collection," the exhibition was an assemblage of the maestro's latest works, and dears, we are talking one hot collection here! In fact, there's a magical fantasy to all of Pearson's work a hauntingly familiar naturalness that
converts even the most jaded and dispassionate observer, into an instant admirer. So much so, that one observer, at last Monday's exhibition, was overheard saying, "I almost expect them to speak to me or come alive".
Well, speak they do, and with such eloquence that they invariably initiate the most intimate dialogue between the observed and the observer. And as for coming alive dears, Gene Pearson has never fashioned anything but
animated prose and beauty in his absolutely wonderful creations!
And so it was, last Monday, with his wife, the charmingly lovely Jacquelyne Hussey-Pearson with their children at their side, the artistic genius of the multi award-winning artist was once again being commended to his countrymen and visitors. Now, apart from the sheer and striking beauty of the creations on offer, among the lasting memories many took from the show was
the exhortation by host Frank Rosheuvel, that he hoped that Jamaica, will so embrace Gene Pearson and his work, that the time will never come of talk of repatriating Gene Pearson to Ethiopia, or any other such destination!
THE FABULOUS
Among the ranks of the
fabulous were: Former First Lady Beverly Anderson-Manley and her companion Dr. D.K. Duncan; Opposition MP James Robertson; Canadian High Commissioner HE Claudio Valle; German Ambassador HE Dr. Christian Hausmann and his wife Mrs. Harriett Huber; Canadian Multimillionaire and owner of the Hilton Kingston Ron Kelly; Lee Issa of the Couples Hotel chain; his brother Paul Issa, also out; William 'Bill' and Ann Telling; Derek Elder;
Drs. Dhiru and Laura Tanna; UGI's Neville Blythe; Mr. and Mrs. George Rodney; Cliff Stone and wife Mrs. Joan Stone; James Samuels; Dr. Carolyn Cooper; Ambassador Peter Black and wife Barbara Black; Alexander Cooper; Mrs. Lois Lake-Sherwood; Laurie Broderick; Gilou Bauer of the Mutual Life Gallery; Cecil Cooper; Kevin and Cecile Levee, Carlyle Hudson; Evon Williams; Myrtha Desulme; Mr. and Mrs. William Thwaites; Susanne Couch; Dr. Brian Morgan; Kay Osborne; Dr. David and Dahlia McBean; Bridgett Brown, Evah Gordon; Suzette Chin-Loy; Sun Fire Cuisine's Dr. Aris Latham, who
prepared the spectacular all natural giant birthday cake; architect Tony Constantine; his sibling Pat Constantine-Thomas, also out; Mel Spence and companion Dianne Wilson; Simon Duquensnay; Vivica and Joyce Hawkins of San Francisco; Catherine Addison, also of San Francisco; Eteri Chkadua, hot and buzzing artist of New York; and siblings: Jonathan Hussey, Anya Pearson, Ariane Hussey and Azaia Pearson, plus
several others.
