By: Adaevia Jones
While Anguilla may be small in size, it is packed with vibrant, creative culture woven from its history, natural beauty, and community traditions. Let’s look at three creatives who embrace Anguilla's creative culture: Courtney Devonish, Lynne Bernbaum, and Cheddie Richardson. All three creatives emphasize island life in their work, while some also include bright colors and provide a connection to the local community.
A defining aspect of Anguilla’s creative culture is its emphasis on traditional woodworking and craftsmanship. One gallery that affirms this is Cheddie Richardson’s gallery. Cheddie first fell in love with this type of work at nine when he made a boat from matchsticks (Amazing Anguillan Art, n.d). Cheddie depicts Anguillan wildlife in his work, incorporating resources from the island, such as stone, driftwood, and coral. Some of his most notable works are making birds and eels out of driftwood. These driftwood sculptures have a particular way of looking like they are morphing in and out of the driftwood (Amazing Anguillan Art,n.d). He also crafts limited editions of bronze reproductions of select pieces (Amazing Anguillan Art, n.d). Travel News explained that Cheddies' art was a part of several exhibitions in the Caribbean (2022). In 1996, his art was presented to Queen Elizabeth II when she went to Anguilla, and it's still part of the Royal Art Collection of England today (Travel News, 2022).
Another key characteristic of Anguilla’s visual design is its celebration of color. More specifically, artists have a tendency to draw from the colors of the island, like the turquoise seas, coral cliffs, and vibrant flora. Likely, these choices carry cultural significance because they're how they’ve embraced their identity during and after colonization. It also helps portray the liveliness of the Anguilla lifestyle. One artist who uses bold coloration is Lynne Bernbaum. She was originally from Texas in the United States, but loved Anguilla so much after her first visit that she moved there.
According to Travel News, Bernbaum’s work demonstrates “the extraordinary in the ordinary” (2022). Her art pays homage to Anguilla’s culture because of her use of colors, inspirations from the Anguilla landscape, and depictions of daily life. Some examples of Bernbaum using both vivid colors and depicting daily life are in the market painting above. The majority of the figures are wearing neutral colors; however, the orange dresses, the oranges, and the purple hats scattered throughout the painting all immediately capture the audience’s attention. Her official site also states that her work is often inspired by geometric shapes (Bernbaum 2026). This is obvious in the "Goats in Stones" work above due to the bold lines that make the animal’s body feel geometrically structured. She also uses diamonds as goat eyes and rectangles for their ears. Currently, her art is in her gallery in Sandy Ground, the L Bernbaum Art Gallery.
Another gallery that highlights Anguilla's focus on craftsmanship is Devonish Art Gallery, owned by Courtney Devonish. His gallery showcases handcrafted wooden sculptures, ceramics, and contemporary paintings. Travel news explains that his mahogany sculptures are inspired by specific “feelings and moments” such as whimsicality and life forms (2022). The authors also celebrated the fact that his work was presented to Ronald Reagan.
Community is a big factor in Anguillan art. Some galleries adhere to this standard by holding workshops or presenting students' work alongside the professional world. Devonish, however, created something known as touch forms (Travel News, 2022). These are lightweight, smooth, round wooden sculptures that one can fiddle with and rub during times of high stress (Travel News, 2022). The idea came to Devonish when one of his friends, who was struggling with withdrawal, admitted to wanting something to keep his hands busy (Travel News, 2022). Other than his wooden sculptures, Devonish embraces the use of color in his ceramics and pottery. His wife also showcases similarly bright jewelry in the store. Finally, the gallery has several paintings that depict many Caribbean scenes, such as the oceans and flora.
Anguilla’s creative culture reflects how visual design can demonstrate what’s important to a culture. Additionally, the creative culture is how Anguilla has kept its identity strong. If you’re ever graced with an opportunity to visit the island, you should visit as many of these Anguillian creatives as possible.
References
Amazing Anguilla Art Anguilla Beaches. Accessed February, 20 2026. https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-art-cheddie.html
Bernbaum, L (2026). L Bernbaum Art Gallery. https://www.lynnebernbaum.com
Devonish Art Gallery...Soul-Soothing Sculptures & Pottery & An Eclectic Collection of
Caribbean Creations(2020). Anguilla Beaches. Accessed February, 20 2026. https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/devonish-art-gallery.html
Travel News. (2022, August 20). Discover the Art and Artist of Anguilla. The Montrealer. https://themontrealeronline.com/2022/08/discover-the-art-and-artists-of-anguilla/
