Granny Old House
Piece titled: Granny Old House
Size: 100 x 100 cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Artist: Tricia Trotman-Maraj The Chattel House is common throughout the Caribbean even though many have been replaced by more modern concrete dwellings. It dates back to the days of slavery and was considered posh dwelling houses for ex-slaves who had previously occupied barracks or thatched houses for most of their lives. To us this was was simply, granny old house in the country. We loved spendin
Curry Crab and Dumpling Anyone?
Piece titled: Man Crab Size: 120 x 100 cm Artist: Trotman-Maraj Medium: Acrylic and textured medium on canvas This blue crab is a delicacy on my island. They taste good in callalloo ( a type of green leafy green soup with coconut milk and plenty ochro) and even better curried and served on top of piping hot coconut dumplings - a treat on the white sandy beach of Store Bay, Tobago. I heard that they even cook it in breadfruit oil down in Grenada. Despite the succulent and tast
Playing in Pink Poui Petals
Piece: 'Pothound in the Poui' Size: 150 x 100 cm Medium: Acrylic and textured medium on canvas Artist: Tricia Trotman-Maraj This piece was inspired by the glorious Poui Tree which blooms during the dry season months in the West Indies. They come in various beautiful colours including lilac, yellow, red, orange and the marvellous pink depicted in the painting. As you drive along the main highway in Trinidad during these months you would notice bursts of colour dotting the nort
Roasted Breadfruit and My Birthmark
Piece Titled: 'Roasting Breadfruit'
Artist: Tricia Trotman Maraj
Size: 120cm x 100 cm
Material: Acrylic on Canvas
It's finished!
After many busy weeks and a trip to Nigeria, the land of some of my ancestors, "Roasting Breadfruit" is finally completed. Breadfruit was the food of slaves brought to the Caribbean from the Western coast of Africa. This is what we Trini's call 'heavy food'. It fills you up quickly and provides lots of energy which is what was needed in orde
Shark on the Reef!
Piece titled: Buccoo Reef Cries
Size: 92 x 61 cm
Artist: Tricia Trotman-Maraj
Medium: Acrylic on canvas. Many years ago when I was eight my family and I visited Store Bay, Tobago for the first time. Whilst there I saw people boarding these glass bottom boats and asked my mother why they were doing that. She explained that they were going out to the coral reef. I had asked to get on but we couldn't afford the ride. Years later I returned to that beach, this time as a teache
The Story Behind the 'Mataborro'
Piece titled: Mataborro ( Man Killer) Size: 61 x 92 cm Artist: Tricia Trotman-Maraj Medium: Acrylic on canvas The red fig (banana) or Mataborro as it is called in Trinidad & Tobago is a sweet fig (you call them bananas). However, it has a very bad reputation with the men who operate bush-rum distilleries deep in the forest and far from law enforcement. The story goes that many hav e literally dropped dead after consuming babash ( bush rum) with these figs in the blistering tr
