(CMR) Bendel Hydes, known as the founding father of contemporary art in Cayman and whose work represents the pinnacle of Caymanian artistic expression over the past half a century, has died.
Cayman National Cultural Foundation, in a recent post, extended condolences to Bendel Hydes's friends and family.
CNCF said Hydes, often referred to as the founding father of contemporary art in Cayman, was a pioneer of his craft and one of the key figures in bringing abstract and contemporary art to the forefront in the community.
Hydes was the first Caymanian to receive formal education overseas in visual art and went on to be a nationally and internationally acclaimed artist, with a career spanning over half a century.
Hydes studied at Liverpool College of Art and Canterbury College of Art in England and subsequently received his BA from Clark University in the United States in 1976.
Beyond his impact on modern Caymanian art, he was also paramount in establishing and furthering Cayman’s professional arts sector, having played a central role in the founding of The Inn Theatre and later the Cayman National Cultural Foundation and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.
Featured in dozens of exhibitions worldwide, including several solo exhibitions in the Cayman Islands, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, Hydes has inspired many Caymanian artists who have since followed in his footsteps. His legacy cannot be overstated.
His work has been featured in numerous publications, including Caribbean Art (Thames and Hudson: 1998) and A-Z of Caribbean Art (Robert & Christopher Publishers: 2019). Hydes’ work was included in two of the most prestigious surveys of Caribbean art of the past three decades: Carib Art (1995–1996) and Caribbean Visions: Contemporary Painting and Sculpture (1995–1998), which traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.