Circumnavigating the Globe is the name of an exhibition consisting of 12 large paintings by Cayman’s premier visual artist, Bendel Hydes. It is the first art exhibition in the new National
 Gallery building.

The paintings represent a sort of visual journey around the earth, and are each inspired by locations separated by 30 degrees 
of longitude.

Mr. Hydes, who was born in Cayman, recently visited the new gallery to talk about his own artistic journey, from his home in New York, where he has lived since the 1980’s.

Mr. Hydes is a founding member of the National Gallery and has been one of the central influences to Cayman’s art and culture since he began painting in the 1970’s.

Mr. Hydes art is a symphony of form, light, and colour. He typically uses thin, transluscent washes which he uses to build up his paintings, many layers at a time. Each painting is a finished work in itself, but should also be seen in context of the other works in the series too.

Photo by: Christopher Tobutt