A chapter has closed as hundreds packed the St. Martin de Porres Chapel in Canefield to celebrate the life of Earl Darius Etienne and say a final farewell to him.
Dubbed an “icon & visionary” Earl died hours short of his 65th birthday on February 23, 2022. He was born on February 24th, 1957 to Shelia Rodney and Peter Maurice Etienne. He was laid to rest at the Massacre Catholic Cemetery.
The eulogy was read by Dr. Carissa Etienne (family). Nature Isle News (NIN) reproduced parts of it.
Educational background
After attending the Massacre Government School, Earl went on to attend the St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) from September 1969 to June 1974. He had a passion for drawing and painting and was desirous of becoming an artist by profession. He painted for eleven years, prior to being awarded a fellowship by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1982 to study fine art at the Edna Manly College of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. There, he developed a unique technique called “bouzaille or flambeau” which created a smoke effect on canvas. He had an accident involving fire which inspired him to develop his own pioneering style of using the image formed by soot, applied directly from a flame. This was incorporated into his artistic work.
Career & Artistic Contribution
In 1986 after graduation, he returned to Dominica and took up a role at the Chronicle newspaper as a Graphic Artist and an Art Teacher at local schools including the Dominica Grammar School (DGS). Later he accepted a post as Cultural Officer in the Ministry of Culture while continuing to fulfill his passion for creating artwork. To exhibit his work, Earl opened an Art Gallery in Massacre called “Art Asylum, located downstairs of the old Massacre School below the St. Ann’s Catholic Church. This was later expanded to several art galleries including Gallery #4, and various locations of the Art Asylum. His permanent art studio is at his home in Jimmit.
Earl was never afraid to experiment, invent, and reach beyond the norm and the ordinary. He is well known for his ability to work with a variety of materials from canvas, wood, paper, fabric, jeans, recycled items, coconut gauze, banana leaves and latex, and more. His styles and genres of painting also varied. His works embody African, Indigenous, and Caribbean souls with his depictions of traditional dance, dancers, and carnival. His works are influenced by ancestral, spiritual, social, cultural, and political elements of his Caribbean environment. The well-respected artist held the Kalinago people close to his heart and this too is reflected in some of his collections.
During his nearly 50-year career, Earl D. Etienne collaborated with several artists and curators and displayed his artwork at several galleries…
Earl was a prolific producer of art and has won several art competitions. Moreover, he received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to the Arts and Culture.
Farewell
Earl Darius Etienne has gone to the great beyond, but his works, blessings, and the memory of his love will live within our hearts. He is mourned by many, especially his wife Nathalie ( he belovedly nicknamed Mamo), daughters (Earlyn, Natasha, and Jenai) grandchildren, other relatives, and friends in the local and international art communities.
May he rest in the peace of our Maker and in the company of our ancestors.
