George Camille’s exhibition opens on Mahe |22 December 2007

The show, twinned with a simultaneous exhibition being held at the Khephren Gallery in Reunion, attracted a large crowd of people who came to view Camille’s latest collection of assemblages, etchings and paintings.

Speaking on behalf of Johnnie Walker (the exhibition’s sponsors), Mr Alan Barnes, managing director of Seychelles Breweries Limited, praised the innovative nature of Camille’s work and spoke of the company’s policy of supporting art of high quality produced by artists in the Indian Ocean region.

Martin Kennedy, author of the catalogue essay on Camille’s recent work, encouraged visitors to engage with the pieces on an individual level, bringing their own experience to inform their understanding and interpretation of the symbolism and story-telling present in Camille’s art.

Fiona Rivera then introduced entertainment both exceptional and unusual for such an event -- a display of flamenco dancing by Jacqui Wilford, who dances mostly in the UK and Spain, accompanied by Christopher Mullett on guitar. Although a surprise to many guests, the dance – typically full of passion, skill and integrity – was an appropriate accompaniment to the work on display.

Sales on this opening night were very strong, with most major pieces being purchased within two hours of the official opening. Demand for the large construction pieces, assembled from discarded shutters and embellished with worked copper sheets, was particularly healthy, possibly because Camille intends to make far less of this type of work in the future, choosing to diversify into other media.

Many viewers commented on the clever interplay between ‘found’ object and the motifs and designs added by the artist in order to re-invent the object and charge it with fresh meaning and power.

The exhibition will remain open at the gallery on Revolution Avenue until January 14, 2008 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays.