Young artists’ work added to BNG permanent collection
*Published in the Royal Gazette June, 19, 2021
Artworks by two young artists have been added to the Bermuda National Gallery’s permanent collection.
Gherdai Hassell’s mixed media pieces, Atlas of Afterimage and Points on the Circle and Jayde Gibbons’ photography exhibit, All The King’s Men, will now sit alongside historic works that highlight the island’s cultural heritage.
Ms Hassell said that she was “thrilled” and “humbled” to have her works bought by the BNG.
She added: “It is my hope that with us opening this door, we can leave it open for other upcoming young artists to follow.”
Ms Hassell added: “The Bermuda National Gallery collection should reflect a wide variety of artistic offerings from local artists.
“When works become part of public collections, they become permanent parts of culture.
“I’m so happy to have BNG as a steward of this work.”
Atlas of Afterimage and Points on the Circle will sit alongside historic portraits by Joseph Blackburne and Thomas Driver, as well as contemporary works from Jacqueline Alma and Henry Ward.
Ms Hassell’s works are on display at the BNG, on the second floor of City Hall in Hamilton, until September.
Ms Hassell’s first solo exhibition, I Am Because You Are, is also on display until September.
All The King’s Men, which was featured in the 2020 Bermuda Biennial, will be catalogued alongside major works by photographers such as James Athill Frith, Richard Saunders and John Pfahl, as well as modern photographers including Meredith Andrews, James Cooper and Antoine Hunt.
Ms Gibbons said: “I was honoured to have All The King’s Men selected for the 2020 Bermuda Biennial, so to have the Bermuda National Gallery purchase my piece to have as a part of their permanent collection is something I would not have imagined.
“Being an artist in Bermuda, I think it’s safe to say that the Bermuda National Gallery is somewhere we all aspire to showcase our art at some point.
“I would like to say thank you to the BNG for providing the platform to introduce the work to the art world as well as recognising the importance of it.”
Peter Lapsley, the executive director of the BNG, said: “The BNG Collections are a wonderful resource and a crucial investment in our island’s arts and culture.
“When a new work or works are added, it is always after a very considered review and we are thrilled to have the chance to add these works by Jayde Gibbons and Gherdai Hassell to the collection.
“These young Bermudian artists are masterful storytellers and their works will remain as relevant for future generations as they are for this moment.”