Dive into the National Museum’s new exhibition

Welcome to a new weekly series in which we delve into Cayman’s rich arts and culture scene to highlight all the exciting exhibitions and events happening across the Islands.

By Lindsey Turnbull

Where are your monuments, your battles, martyrs?

Where is your tribal memory? Sirs,

in that grey vault. The sea. The sea

has locked them up. The sea is History.

The sea has shaped the way of life in the Cayman Islands for hundreds of years. Derek Walcott’s famous poem, The Sea is History (written in 1978), after which a new exhibition at the National Museum is titled, powerfully evokes the role of the sea in Caribbean identity. 

“He Hath Founded It Upon The Seas” (Psalm 24:2) is the national motto of the Cayman Islands, underscoring the special significance the sea has in Cayman, a place with such rich maritime history. Even though the islands are located in the middle of the western Caribbean, the sea has historically allowed people in Cayman to travel to other countries and connect with the outside world.

Cayman Islands National Museum Director, Dr. Veerle Poupeye, spoke about this dichotomy:

“Here, the sea has been a source of isolation and connection, with nearby and far-flung places, and a silent witness to momentous historical events and personal stories as well. As Caymanians know well, the sea gives and it takes: it is a source of sustenance and salvation, but it can also be violent and destructive,” she explained. “Many Caymanians have lost their lives at sea and major hurricanes have wreaked devastation on the islands, yet the sea has also enabled the success of trade and industries, such as thatch and turtle, seafaring, and, more recently, tourism.”

Dr Poupeye said human actions, in turn, affect the sea:

“Over-consumptive human action has resulted in universal crises such as global warming and overfishing, jeopardising the welfare of the marine environment, as well as our terrestrial habitat. Several objects in the exhibition also remind us of the importance of communal awareness and efforts to maintain and protect our natural environments,” she stated.

This exhibition provides a poetic take on the relationship between the Cayman Islands and the sea, as a repository of stories and memories that delve deeply into the Caymanian cultural identity. It features historical and more recent artefacts, some of them mysterious and others well-documented, that were retrieved from the sea or found washed up on the islands’ beaches, along with other objects and images that originated on the islands and speak to the sea as a defining presence in Caymanian life and history.

The Sea is History opens to the public on 16 October. The opening reception is from 6 to 8 pm and all are welcome. All artefacts in this exhibition are from the Museum’s collections.

This week we feature two artefacts from the exhibition, with more in the coming weeks.

• John Broad - Resilience Banner (2020), acrylic on canvas

In a painting that is laid out like a game-board, John Broad pays tribute to the resilience of the women who were left to manage daily life in the Cayman Islands, while the men were at sea. The female figure at the centre of the composition is surrounded by symbols relating to the home and Church, local cottage industries such as thatch-making, kitchen band music, and references to maritime life, such as the conch, the catboat, the bulk cargo ship, the compass points, and stormy seas. It alludes to what provided the families at home with sustenance and support, but also to the hazards and uncertainties involved, making clever symbolic use of the game board allusions.

The work was recently donated to the Museum by the Artist.

• ‘The Goddess Bali’ (1960s), woodcarving, Ira Thompson Collection

This sculpture was found by Ira Thompson in South Sound, likely on the beach, in 1964. It may be representation of the Balinese goddess Dewi Danu, the water goddess of Balinese Hindus. It has also been suggested that its origins may be closer to home, and that the figure may represent the Cuban Santeria goddess Yemaya, who is also associated with the sea and often takes the form of a mermaid.

The private collection of Ira Thompson was in 1979 acquired by the Government of the Cayman Islands, and became the foundational collection of the Cayman Islands National Museum