Roann Pierre’s outstanding drawing makes it hard to believe that she is self-taught. Perfection is important to her and therefore her work is very detailed.
Though she was born at Charity on the Essequibo Coast, Roann grew up in Georgetown. She was always fascinated by art and dabbled until secondary school when she was able to explore the subject as she liked. Her art teacher Ayesha Scotland picked up on her talent and pushed Roann to challenge herself at every possible opportunity.
However, after completing secondary school, she took a break from art and found other interests. Then one day in 2017, she was bored enough to pick up a pen and draw. Surprised that she still had the skill, Roann began sketching something every day, honing her talent as she did so.
One day, a friend told her that she would pay for such work and not long after, Roann decided to start selling her pieces. Her sales have grown to the point where people order drawings. Currently, she’s booked for the rest of the month until mid-March doing a couple of family portraits and one of an individual. This has been ongoing since Christmas. Valentine and Christmas, she said, are her peak seasons for drawing.
Though she does landscapes and nature drawings from time to time, Roann specializes in portraits. “Art is my emotional support. I feel happy when I’m doing it. If I’m feeling sad and I decide to draw something that draws that sadness out of me. [It] is replaced by a warm feeling,” she said.
She also does the occasional painting. And although she is skilled in this as well, Roann believes she is not quite there. She plans on remaining focused on drawing for now. People have encouraged her to enroll in E R Burrowes School of Art, or pursue art studies at the University of Guyana, but Roann prefers to continue honing her own techniques.
“Art has bettered me as a person. I’ve become more patient as an individual. Art has also helped me to cope with anger issues. [In addition] it has made me more disciplined,” she said.
She is inspired by many local artists especially those she has worked with closely. Another inspiration is her father, who shares her passion for drawing. Her father has a knack for crafting as well and has made her a tabletop easel. She intends on using his skill to make a table next.
She described artists as “a bunch of weird people” who seem to critique themselves more than any other occupational category, but who are unique as they see the world from a different perspective.
Among the advantages of being an artist, Roann said is that art has brought her into contact with many interesting people. And while she noted that art has also taken artists to places, the same has not yet occurred for her, though she hopes she can be afforded such opportunities soon. Ideally, the place at the top on her bucket list to visit in Guyana is Rewa in Region Eight. “This place looks like it’s built on art, so I want to go there,” she enthused.
She believes she has lengths more to go in perfecting her talent and for this reason she charges way below the regular prices asked for by renowned Guyanese artists. Her skill, however, tells a different story.
Almost all of her art materials are bought online or by a friend or relative coming from overseas. It is difficult, Roann said, to find the required pencils and other materials she needs in Guyana and when she does come across any, they cost too much.
She shared that one day she hopes to have a store that not only sells the required tools for artists but does so at a reasonable cost. In addition, she hopes to own her own art gallery in time to come. The artist is also hoping to work on a project later this year that will focus on the human anatomy.
Whenever Roann suffers an artist’s block, she listens to a lot of music which helps to put her back in creative mode. But when music does not help, she takes time off from the piece she is working on, sometimes a three-week break. These occasions are rare, she added as she is almost always booming with creative ideas. Asked whether she makes a note when she has a new idea, Roann said she can store them at the back on her mind then return to them later to bring them to life on paper. Another way she deals with artist’s block is visiting art exhibitions.
In the three years since taking up art professionally, Roann has entered two competitions and participated in an exhibition. Though she did not place, her work drew enough attention to be shortlisted for the finals.
These last few years, she said, have brought a host of memorable experiences. Among them is the conversation she had with a stranger. “[This] … happened at the National Art Exhibition. I was totally unprepared for it though I had presented three pieces up for display. I did the pieces in colour or pastel and I entered them. They were all landscape pieces.
“This old guy comes up and he stands next to me and asks, ‘Whose work is this?’ I turned around and said to him ‘It’s mine’. Then he said, ‘You’re very focused on perfection as an artist’. I said to him that it was my thing and I like being perfect when it comes to art. He said to me, ‘You need to stop focusing on being perfect and learn to perfect your mistakes.’”
The man’s comment, she said, left her deep in thought. Experienced artists, she explained, would always say to up and coming artists that any mistake made should be turned or perfected into something else rather than erased and done over. Roann confessed that she has eight different kinds of erasers and is a long way off from perfecting her mistakes as she is still grounded in being perfect. She remains steadfast that this is her style as an artist and likes to think this is one of the qualities that set her apart.
While she is a perfectionist when it comes to art, this is not what she wants to be remembered for, but as a young woman who was not afraid of life’s challenges and remained determined to be her best self.
In respect of support for local artists, she noted that appreciation of art was lacking, and citizens preferred to travel abroad and pay for a piece of art instead of purchasing better quality right here. The idea, she posited, seems to be that because it is from abroad it must be better, and that Guyana could never produce high-end art. Such people boast about where their art came from rather than the quality.
One of the things that can be a big boost is noticing the potential of young artists and encouraging them along the way. She again referred to her art teacher, who did this for her. Another of her greatest supporters was her late grandmother on her mother’s side. “My first official exhibition at the Castellani House was in 2013. I did a piece for my SBA [School Based Assessment] project… I wasn’t going to enter but my art teacher pushed me. She said, ‘You know, you’re going to start doing these exhibitions…’ so she took one of my SBAs and she entered it. I won obviously because I was the only person competing for the Under-18 category or at least I think I was the only person that competed in that category.
“When I did that exhibition, I went straight by my grandma. She was so happy. She couldn’t have really walked then but I could have seen the excitement in her face, and I know that she was proud. She was amazed at my work. More than anything, I would have wanted her to be around today, to see how I [progressed].”
To date she has created close to 200 pieces.
Roann is currently employed at Space Gym and when she is not taken up with work or art, sleeps or goes to the movies.
She attended Gacestock Nursery, F.E Pollard Primary and Christ Church Secondary schools. She loves to eat any kind of cook-up and ice cream. Her favourite colours are black and emerald.
Currently, Roann is getting set to participate in the KAYAP Exhibition, ‘Sip & Create’, tonight at the B K Building, 1 – 2 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty (ground floor opposite Altitude Bar). None of her pieces will be on display as they have been sold but 4 or 5 renowned local artists will showcase their work. Roann is one of five other artists who will present hands-on art workshops. Along with the mini-exhibition and the workshops, there will also be poetry performances, live portraits, street games, storytelling and an open mic. The first 20 persons to arrive will have a chance to be part of a giveaway special.
KAYAP was founded by Roann and several other artists last November. The word is of the Arawak/Lokono dialect that translates to ‘the coming together of a people’. The group hosts various mini fundraising events to aid in their dream of bringing street art to Guyana among other projects.
Tonight’s workshops will find an artist attending to interested persons who signed up. Each artist is are assigned to a particular category – pastel drawing, clay/ornament making, fruit carving, canvas painting and plastic jewelry. The workshops cost $5,000 per person and includes a glass of wine and finger foods. Those who will only be viewing the exhibition will pay an entry fee of $1,000. Wine will be on sale. Tonight’s event commences at 6 pm.
For a look at more of Roann’s work she can be followed Mystery Arts on Facebook, and on Instagram at Roann_Pear.
