Painting Humanity’s Mirror

If every picture tells a story, then some paintings can speak volumes. And that is certainly the feeling of H. Lloyd Weston, BA’74 (R), a leading contemporary expressionist painter whose work has been displayed internationally and recently was showcased at the United Nations.

Weston seeks to “use art as a consciousness-raising vehicle where appreciation of the environment is concerned. [I want] to create landscapes with a sense of beauty and immediacy. I want the viewer to envision themselves within this particular setting thereby raising greater awareness for the aesthetic value of vistas we inadvertently take for granted.”

 

“Twilight Sonata”

The Jamaican-born Weston was “always interested in painting” yet never “took it seriously” while an international student at FDU. An English major focusing on art and creative writing, he also was president of the literary and cultural club, The Becton Society. He was published in the club’s magazine, The Prelude, and participated in numerous poetry readings while on campus. Weston credits Charles Angoff (former professor of English), “a fine gentleman,” as being a mentor who encouraged him in his artistic endeavors both literary and artistically. “My art and my writing gave me some renown on campus and nurtured me in a very safe environment.”

“Weston’s works are full of vitality and expression and capture the beauty of Jamaica in vibrant and flowing colors.” — Rene Phillips, art critic

After graduation, Weston went on to independent study in London and Paris and began to hone his painting. Always a lover of nature and the environment, when he saw Monet in a museum, “something happened. The vibrancy of color, the atmospheric effects and freedom of expression all came together for me and profoundly influenced my painting.”

Weston returned to America in 1979 and studied abstract expressionism with Joseph Stapleton at the Art Students League in New York City. While studying there, he had his paintings displayed in the main gallery of the Art Students League.

His premier showing came in 1981 at the Americas Society in New York City. A huge success, it resulted in a one-man show at the prestigious Ta-Nisia Gallery in New York City, where noted art critic Rene Phillips said, “Weston’s works are full of vitality and expression and capture the beauty of Jamaica in vibrant and flowing colors.”

“Masks with Punk Rock Hairstyle”

Weston’s growing reputation brought him to the attention of Jose Gomez Sicre, director of the Museum of Modern Art of Latin America under the sponsorship of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C. A one-man exhibition in 1984 resulted in a feature article in the international OAS magazine, Americas, and an interview on the Voice of America radio program. “That was a major turning point in my career that brought a lot of international attention to my work.”

Weston continued to enjoy major showings in museums and galleries worldwide, and today his works reside in numerous private and public collections. A prominent highlight for Weston was a commissioned work for Queen Elizabeth in celebration of her 50th anniversary as Royal Patron for the “Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa,” a charitable organization based in London. He personally presented the painting to the queen in 1989. “It was a great honor, and I consider the occasion a great privilege of my career.”

Not limited to one audience, he says art “can connect us to each other. You do not need to know a foreign language to appreciate art. It communicates on a spiritual level that can bring people together.”

It is this sense of connectedness that inspired the United Nations to exhibit Weston’s works in 2003 as part of its celebration of the International Year of Cultural Heritage. The display highlighted in particular those works that express his “joy [of our cultural diversity] through the use of colors that reflect the beauty” of his Caribbean roots. He adds, “In this world of strife and uncertainty, art has been … a mirror through which we can reflect upon our humanity and pay homage to the cultural differences that connect us.”

“Out of Many Colours, One Man”

Weston also recently gained a telling reminder of his ability to connect with an audience when he received letters from schoolchildren in London who viewed his work. “The children wrote and told me they were studying Gauguin and Weston! What beautiful feedback! The ability to touch lives and bring people together is an immensely gratifying experience of which I never tire.”

A self-proclaimed “gardening fanatic,” Weston “loves nature and making things grow.” That seems like a fitting hobby for a painter whose desire to help cultivate the garden of humanity inspires his art.   

– M.D.

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