Seychellois artist returns after 7 years with colourful works on display at Eden Art Gallery

The exhibition of Marday is a collection of paintings and sculptures. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - An exhibition named after an item crafted from the Seychelles’ endemic coco de mer by a local Seychellois artist is on public display at the Eden Art Gallery.

‘Kokosye 7,’ which is the title of the exhibition of renowned local painter and sculptor Egbert Marday, is a collection of paintings and sculptures.

Marday told SNA that this is his first exhibition in Seychelles in seven years.

“Kokosye is one of the first items crafted in Seychelles from our endemic coco-de-mer and it was used in everyday life and found everywhere in shops as a measuring tool, by fishermen to remove water from their boats. It is, therefore, fitting for my exhibition, which is a collection of everything I’ve done in the past seven years,” explained Marday.

Marday said he paints life both the positive and negative sides. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

The artist said there are 65 pieces on display which include both abstract and semi-abstract work.

The exhibition will be on display until November 8 and the works are on sale with prices ranging from SCR 2,500 ($183) to SCR 47,000 ($3,432).

Eight of the 65 pieces have already been sold.

Marday told SNA that most of the artworks were done in the past year at his Kreasyon Beau-et-Mien Art Studio at La Misere, in the western part of the main island of Mahe. The oldest piece dates back to 2014.

The Seychellois artist paints life.

Marday uses different techniques and believes that his works will appeal to a larger audience. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

“When you look at my work you will see bright colours, music and people playing domino games. This for me depicts how life can be fun and great. But life has its negative side as well and one of my paintings shows the scourge of drug abuse in Seychelles to show that life is not always fun,” he said.

Marday uses different techniques and believes that his works will appeal to a larger audience. 

“I work mainly in mixed media so visitors will get a chance to appreciate a wide range of style paper mache, acrylic and oil paintings on canvas, as well as bas-relief, which are carved sculptures people can hang from walls and also free-standing sculptures,” he said.