Through painting I can express myself and show appreciation for my culture – Demion Mack

Demion Mack

The possibilities that art brings to us are limitless. It allows us to express our innermost thoughts and convey messages that we could not have done with words. Art is universal and it invites people into the worlds we create whether it is in a painting, a stage play or a drawing.

Though still young on the art scene, for well over 5 years now, Demion Mack has been drawing inspiration from his environment and creating masterpieces that provide everyone with a glimpse into the world he lives. The 19-year-old artist hails from the North Rupununi village of Rewa in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region.

With just about 300 residents, mainly from the Makushi tribe, the Indigenous village of Rewa is known for its abundant wildlife and ecological diversity. Demion said it is also a remote village which is sheltered from the outside world – something he said can also be viewed as a disadvantage.

Growing up in the village has taught Demion to connect with nature and everything it has to offer. The young man spent his childhood days living the life that every Indigenous youth experiences once they are growing up in their native village. He fished, farmed and swam in the rivers and creeks. He built relationships with not only people, but also his environment.

His large family provided him with the support to always follow his dreams. He is an avid footballer and even represented his secondary school – Annai Secondary in various competitions nationally.

“Life in Rewa village was challenging too. I did the normal things any Amerindian child would do but because of how our village is located way down the riverine areas, it was more challenging. I did not know what the outside world looked like because I didn’t really leave the village much. But I knew what the people looked like,” he said.

Demion is currently a fine arts student at the E R Burrowes School of Art but art is something he was not exposed to during the early stages of his life. His first introduction to the world of art, drawing and painting, was when he entered secondary school.

“I didn’t even know we would take art because we didn’t have that at Rewa Primary. When I started going to secondary school, I was introduced to art classes. It was there I realised that I could do art and we had an art teacher. I wrote Arts at CXC and got a Grade Two and that really brought me into the art world,” the young man related.

After finishing secondary school, Demion enrolled at E R Burrowes School of Art where he began delving deeper and discovering his talent. His first year at Burrowes School of Art allowed him to fine tune the skills he had and introduced him to various mediums of expression. However, he missed out on one year of schooling after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. He only restarted classes in January this year.

Demion’s cousins Collin and Ransford played a major part in inspiring the young artist to pursue his passion. Collin and Ransford are two of the country’s exceptional young artists. He also draws inspiration from other artists like Pablo Picasso, George Simon, Campton Babb and Winslow Craig among others.

“I am more into painting than any other part. Through painting I can express myself and show my culture. Most of my work is like about nature and showcasing the what my life is like. I want people to know what life is like in the remote parts of the country. It is like when I first came to Georgetown, I found it strange but then I had to cope with it because I needed to go to school.”

When asked about what advice he would give to young artists, Demion said “Keep on doing art and doing what they want to do and what they like. Practise all the time because it leads to perfection. Everything comes from art. Art to me is like, important because it allows you to show your innermost thoughts and I want to show the Indigenous lifestyle in my paintings and to show the people around here.”