Che Lovelace

Che Lovelace was born in San Fernando, Trinidad, and grew up in the east coast village of Matura. He has said: "My 'passport' name is Cheikh Sedar Lovelace. Apparently, in 1969, the Anglican Church would not allow me to be christened Che. My parents made my first name Cheikh after the African historian-philosopher, Cheikh Anta Diop. I believe Sedar is after the Senegalese poet Léopold Sédar Senghor. Why they set me up to live up to the standard of such great men, I couldn't tell you." Lovelace began surfing in his late teens and achieved prominence by winning national titles in the sport. Working as an artist since he graduated in 1993, Lovelace has experimented with various styles and materials, exploring in his subject matter dancehall, Carnival and dancing figures. In 2017, The New Yorker noted: "Poised on the border between Cubism and realism, Lovelace doesn't really belong to any school; part of the beauty of the show lies in watching the artist establish his own rich vocabulary and letting the work stand on its own. He's not afraid of pleasure and knows how much the soul craves colour—a refuge during these dark days."