Dear Editor,
I have been reluctant to make a public plea for the return of a painting from the Netherlands that belongs to me but it is now nearly six months that it has been packed and readied to be returned – along with other art pieces from Guyana – except that the shipping fees, from what I gather, are still to be paid.
Last September, there was an exhibition of art from Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana held in the Netherlands entitled “Benedicto IV: Mighty Echo of the Amazon Rainforest – Revelations of the Guianas”. The curator Natasha Koppel chose local art works from Bernadette Persaud, Stanley Greaves, Desmond Alli, George Simon and Merlene Ellis. One of the paintings selected from Bernadette Persaud’s Rainforest Series belonged to me and I was very happy to loan the piece for the exhibition. It was shipped out along with other paintings from Guyana through Castellani House with the shipping fees paid by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
The exhibition was a success and was extended into November 2020. At the close of the exhibition, the art works were packed and readied to be returned. However, they are still in The Netherlands and I am unable to get any information as to when the paintings will arrive back home. As far as I am aware, the paintings are languishing in a storage facility in The Netherlands while awaiting payment of the shipping fees to have them returned. Of course, the longer the storage the more susceptible they are to damage.
This is a straightforward administrative process that should not engage the attention of the minister himself. However, given the situation, I am asking Minister Charles Ramson Jnr to please look into this matter and have it resolved so that the paintings can be returned as soon as possible.
It is disgraceful that Guyana’s art is revered and admired abroad and yet receive such shoddy treatment at home.
Sincerely
Ryhaan Shah