The Artists of St Maarten and St Martin

Sir Roland Richardson – A descendant of an old plantation owning family on St Martin, knighted by the Dutch Queen for his part in registering the views of and on the island for decades. You will both admire his paintings of St Martin’s national tree the red flowering Flamboyant as well as this artist’s flamboyant character. Bear in mind that Roland Richardson’s Art Gallery is not open on Sundays and the master himself can only be met on Thursdays. 

Max Phelipa – Born in the Dutch Caribbean Max displays his colourful oils, pastels and acrylic works around his house in a very neat and lush garden in the center of Philipsburg. His favourite subjects are tropical flowers, local scenery and portraits. 

Dame Ruby Bute – Born on Aruba from St Maarten parents, is a wonderful story teller, poet and painter and has been knighted by the Dutch Queen for her work as a self-taught artist and art teacher, teaching prisoners and children on the island. Her colourful paintings depict life on St Martin as she remembers it from when she was small. Ruby Bute is always happy to tell the story behind whichever painting you prefer, in the art gallery next to her home.

Zdenka Kiric– Originally from Croatia, this powerful woman who sailed across the Atlantic on her 28-foot boat and on her birthday lost the boat in the hurricane. She designs and handcrafts fine jewelry on St Maarten. The pieces are created with pearls, rare gemstones, gold, silver and vermeil. Each piece is unique and easy to wear. At a pearl bar you can select your own pearl and with Zdenka design your own special piece. 

Zdenka runs The Art Box Gallery and next to her own work she displays the largest selection of fine arts and crafts of other St Maarten and Caribbean artists and artisans. In this eclectic space acclaimed names like Jean-Michel Lengrand and Poirier-Nkpa Florance stand besides Jean-Pierre Straub or Sir. Roland Richardson.

Alexandre Minguet – Born in March 1937, Beziers, France. Passed away in 1996 in Saint Martin. He was a painter of l’Ecole du Louvre & l’Ecole de Paris. The colorful paintings and handmade lithographs of the late Alexandre Minguet are shown in his former studio, by his daughter Catherine. Growing up on the island she remembers her father painting the bays, life and flowers of St Martin. Also, early works of Minguet can be admired, depicting the French country side of Normandy, with a clear difference found in the use of colors.

The gallery exhibits also many other Caribbean and French artists with colorful artworks.

Timothy Dowling – Born on Sint Maarten, is a versatile artist and art teacher whose inspiration comes from his heritage (Caribbean; Saba and Suriname) but also from his nostalgic and vivid childhood memories of St. Maarten. He has worked for almost 20 years in the animation industry, he paints, designs, knits, crochets, sculpts, makes ceramics, does wood work, writes and makes children books including art work.

In his Art Gallery, Art House St. MaARTen, you will find his artwork; original oil paintings and one-of-kind handmade ceramics as well as works of other local artists.

Christiane Ladéon – This great watercolorist only discovered her talent in 2015 when writing her first novel on the subject of endometriosis, a chronic illness she is enduring.

Christiane started taking art classes and was inspired by her teacher to develop her talent and expose her work.

Painting now offers her an escape from her pain and illness and has given her new meaning to life. 

Tessel Verheij – Born in the Netherlands, she decided to follow her life’s passion by becoming an artist in her own right and help others on the same journey by becoming an art teacher. She creates art on different mediums with a fascinating variation in materials such as local sand and a very rare medium combination, vitrail with resin.

Paul Elliott Thuleau – Tropismes art gallery, located in the famous gourmet capital Grand Case, is run by artist Paul Elliott Thuleau. It showcases his vibrant and minimalistic paintings of local Creole houses.

Tropismes art gallery also exhibits famous contemporary Caribbean painters, sculptors and photographers such as Nathalie Lepine, Antoine Chapon, François Castelain, Christian Saba, Mario Benjamin and Alejandro Ulloa

Laurey-Ann Fairbairn – Sint Maarten national, originally from South Africa. She is an artist inspired by taking what nature created so perfectly, clay, and remolding it into new organic forms. Her popular Urchin series reflects bubbling surf and intricate coral filigree. Every piece is hand built as seen by the spiraling indentations of her thumbprints. 

Francis Eck – Bright and abstract oils of Caribbean seascapes as well as snowscapes, since this French artist grew up in the French Alsace. All his works, including the more detailed paintings of musicians, are made with palette knives. Francis Eck displays his works around his pool at his home in Orient Bay, a peek into his studio is part of the visit. 

Antoine Chapon – Light and airy watercolors of St Martin seascapes in different hues of blue are Antoine Chapon’s trademark. Antoine was born in France in 1952 and sailed to St Martin in 1981, he’s lived at the foot of the hills in Colombier and now creates his wonderful works at his home in the bay of the French Cul de Sac. During the tour we’ll meet Antoine in Grand Case, at Art Gallery Tropismes.