Farmer and Sculptor, Rex Ilix Heartman, created another piece for his ‘Black Diamond’ Collection on the street of Cheapside.
Woodcarver puts his heart into art
Sat, 01/28/2017 - 12:00am
On the busy street of Cheapside, Bridgetown, he could be seen creating another work of art; a piece which speaks to a mood, a political or economic statement or a social crisis. Known as Ras Ilix Heartman, this St. Andrew resident was busy working on a piece for his “Black Diamond” collection.
In his gallery, on one of the walls is a list of his past achievements in woodcarving. Ras Ilix explained that he has been in the business of sculpting wood since 1987. Some of his works have been displayed internationally, in the USA, as well as in
the region’s Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba.
Through the 80s to 90s, Ras Ilix has transitioned from the NIFCA Gallery in Barbados to the 479 Gallery in Soho New York. An artist, sculptor and farmer by profession, he was born on Newton Plantation - a place which he said has a slave graveyard- the Newton Burial Ground for enslaved people.
His most recent showing was an art exhibition at Manor Lodge which attracted over eighty artists. He was privileged to have a dedicated room for his work. There were three pieces shown in November 2016 which included “Rat Race”, “Vex” and “Cry Blood”.
Ras Ilix also showed The Barbados Advocate his collection entitled “Ancestors”, which was given this name because of the age of the wood that was sourced from the Westbury and St. Mary Church Cemetery. He also has a “Burn” collection which consisted of charred wood from the 2011 fire in Temple yard. Some of the work of the self-taught artist has been showcased at Carifesta in Haiti.
“As an artist, I must keep creating; so that I can have value – so that I can leave my children a legacy,” said Ras Ilix.