PROFILE

An Interview with the artist
by Sheena Butler - freelance writer/Journalist

 

To navigate the mind of the artist, one must be willing to look at the world through her eyes; eyes which have seen both the joys and hardships of human existence. Like a complex work of art that features a variety of shapes, colors and emotions, Bethel is a painting of life personified
A former financial controller of the Lucayan Medical Centre for 15 years, Bethel describes her metamorphosis into an artist as a “mid-life renaissance. She initially learned from master artists such as Jeannie Dobie, aws in Leuven, Belgium, Selina Trieff at the Fine Art Work Center in province Town, USA. and Antonius Roberts in the Bahamas. She took her transformation into an artist very seriously and went on to pursue further studies at Haliburton School of the Arts in Canada.
Both a painter and a pioneer sculptor of the royal palm, she considers life her artistic muse. Chantal explains that while her ideas are initially sketched out, she relies on intuition and a greater power to guide her hands.
By way of nature, she had discovered what was to be her material for sculpting. The chance encounter with the palms in the street gave birth to “The Royal Collection”. The daughter of an Agronomist , she believes that her use of the palm is a testament of her innate ties with nature. Using it allows her to present a form of art that has some local origin.
Most recently she created a new media exploration into the theme “Colors of Paradise“, a video collage produced in collaboration with Dave Mackey and Marion Bethel. “Colors of Paradise” premiered at PrincetonUniversitywhere Chantal Bethel was invited as a guest speaker/artist during their Caribbean conference in 2007.
While her work often includes themes of happiness and love, Bethel is not afraid to explore and peel away any of life’s layers. Through the paintings she makes persistent comment on humanity, on its ideal and its weaknesses which attentive viewers can decipher for themselves. “In my work I attempt to capture mood and emotions, as well as the complexities and subtleties of human experience” she says.
Born in Haiti, schooled in Belgium Chantal Bethel embraces Bahamian life.. Fluent in French, Creole and English, she believes it is a privilege for her to celebrate the various cultures that have contributed to her diverse spirit.