In honour of Cambridge Beaches Centennial Celebration, Black Pony Gallery’s first exhibition in the resort's Main House features original paintings and limited-edition prints by five Bermudian artists including Meredith Andrews, James Cooper, Graham Foster, Teresa Kirby Smith, ABWilson, and Charles Zuill, as well as work from Cayman artist, Nasaria Chollette, and Cuban artist, Osmeivy Ortega.
Contemporary portrait, travel and lifestyle photographer Meredith Andrews has shot for editorial, advertising, and private clients all over the world. Based in Bermuda, her work has been featured in dozens of international exhibitions such as the 2009 and 2019 Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at National Portrait Gallery in London, UK, the Portrait of Humanity and OpenWalls Arles in 2020, the Copenhagen Photo Festival and a solo show at the Bermuda National Gallery in 2021, a silver winner of the Association of Photographers awards, the BJP International Photography Award, the Royal Photographic Society International exhibition and the PHOTO IS:REAL Festival all in 2022. Most recently Meredith’s work was exhibited at the Women Street Photographers exhibition in NYC.
Nasaria Chollette grew up in George Town, Grand Cayman without television, where play came purely out of imagination and books. This was where she learned to express emotions through storytelling, playacting and art. She holdsa BFA in Theatre from Howard University and a MFA in Theatre Education from New York University. Chollette is a founding member of Native Sons Artists Collective, who seek to develop an authentic Caymanian art aesthetic. Her influences are Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Tessa Mars and Frida Kahlo. She won the McCoy Price for her work “Maiden Plum” in 2006, and the Bendel Hydes Award in the 1st Cayman Islands Biennial with an art installation entitled, “Becoming Again”. She has collectors worldwide and has exhibited extensively in the Cayman Islands, including her most recent solo exhibition, “All the Coals we Left in the Fire” in 2022.
A photographer for over 25 years, James Cooper was discovered by New York artist and curator Tim Barber in 2008. Subsequently, he has worked on many local and international projects and publications including Juxtapoz, Dear Dave magazine, ARC magazine, See Me Here anthology, Pictures from Paradise photography from the Caribbean, and more. In addition to being featured in several Bermuda National Gallery Biennials and having several solo exhibitions in Bermuda, Cooper has exhibited at Alice Yard (Trinidad), National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, National Gallery of Jamaica, the Ghetto Biennial (Haiti), Brighton UK Photo Festival, New York Photo Festival, Toronto Photo Festival
and the Fondation Clement. His work is in the permanent collection of Bermuda National Gallery and the private collection of Kenneth Montague (Toronto) and many others worldwide
ABWilson is a photographer known for her unique approach, using Appreciative Inquiry to unveil hidden beauty in every situation. In 2014, she learned the importance of persistence and determination in street photography from Kevin Ox Lee's class at Invisible Photography Asia. In 2020, she served as a judge for the Dr. Reg Grundy Annual Youth Photography Competition in Bermuda, later teaching photography classes to the winners. Her artistic talents earned her an honorable mention in the 2021 Masterworks Tenth Charman Prize, and in 2022, her work was featured in the Bermuda Biennial and the Bermuda National Gallery, solidifying her presence in the photography and art community as she continues her quest for extraordinary photographs.
Graham Foster has been a professional artist since 1995. Educated at the Bermuda College and the Museum School of Fine Arts (Boston), his paintings are often inspired by Bermuda’s natural environment, architecture, and people. He tends to paint in a surreal style, tapping dreams and the subconscious. He is also a talented sculptor, working in welded and forged steel, and these works tend to reference the tribal arts of Africa and the Pacific. Foster’s artwork has been collected widely and can be found in the permanent collections of the Bermuda National Gallery and Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. His tour de force (to date) is the 1000 square foot mural that depicts five centuries of Bermuda’s history in the Commissioner’s House at the Bermuda National Museum. Foster has won several awards for his artwork, including the Grand Prize of the 2009 Charman Show at Masterworks.
Teresa Kirby Smith, originally from Peru and raised in Chile, Panama, and Argentina, pursued her photography education at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York, and later earned an MA in Photography and Fine Arts Administration from New York University. Her primary focus is night photography, using a twin-lens reflex camera to shoot black and white film that she develops in the traditional darkroom. More recently, she has ventured into abstract color imagery captured during daylight hours with a digital camera, exploring light interactions with walls and various props like glass bricks or dyed water containers. Her goal is to craft rich, multi-layered, and vividly saturated images showcasing the colors and shapes prevalent in Bermuda. Teresa Kirby Smith's work has been exhibited in Bermuda and the United States, including online exhibitions. In 2013, she secured the Grand Prize of the Charman Show at Masterworks and has consistently participated in the Bermuda National Gallery Biennial exhibitions.
Osmeivy Ortega, originally from Havana, Cuba, is an accomplished artist with an extensive educational background. He graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts San Alejandro in 2003, specializing in Engraving. He furthered his studies at The Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2009 and the Higher Institute of Art, ISA, in 2005. Ortega's artistic journey has been marked by numerous international artist residencies, including one at Documenta in Kassel, Germany. He is an esteemed member of the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba and the Experimental Graphic Workshop of Havana. Additionally, he served as a professor in the Engraving Specialty at the San Alejandro Academy and ISA from 2003 to 2015. Ortega has exhibited his work in solo shows in Cuba, New Zealand, and the United States and has participated in over 100 group exhibitions. His artwork is held in public collections such as the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, AMBA Collection in Paris, and the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. Furthermore, his pieces are part of private collections in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Portugal, Turkey, the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Charles Zuill's deep connection with nature and science began during his upbringing on a dairy farm in Bermuda. He approaches art as a systematic experiment, combining his love for nature and scientific inquiry. His educational background includes a BA in Fine Art from Atlantic Union College, an MFA in painting and printmaking from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Critical Studies from New York University. Additionally, he honed his skills through studies at The Byam Shaw School of Art and The Heatherley School of Fine Art in London, as well as research at the Bauhaus Archive. Influenced by artists like Paul Klee and Josef Albers, Zuill's artwork has been a consistent presence in Bermuda National Gallery Biennials since 1994. He has also participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both locally and internationally. His art is a part of the permanent collection at the Bermuda National Gallery, where he serves as a founding trustee.
