Is there a jamaican wood carver named Lancelot Bryan?

Answer 1

there is, and he died last week

Lancelot Bryan was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica. He was a self taught artist who had a natural flair when working with wood and people.

He began carving in his early teen years. He had the unique ability to do what is known among mastercarvers as "reading the wood". This ability involves looking at a piece of wood in its natural shape, and "seeing" various carving possibilities before the actual carving ever begins. It is an ability most artists yearn for.

After being awarded various ribbons and awards at local shows and competitions, Mr. Bryan's work caught the eye of Prince Charles during an official state visit to Jamaica in the mid-1980s. Since then, Mr. Bryan has been commissioned to do specific works for Prince Charles, Bishop Desmond TuTu, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth , and the Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Prince Charles was instrumental in providing financial assistance to Mr. Bryan through "The Prince's Trust" of the United Kingdom.This assistance enabled Mr. Bryan to select talented young Jamaicans and teach them carving at the highest level. This effort has come to be known as "The Mighty Gully Art Studio" of Jamaica. Carvings from the "Mighty Gully Art Studio" have thus become highly regarded and desired among connoisseurs of wood carving .

The medium used by Mr. Bryan was exclusively the wood known as Lignum vitae. This wood, known among carvers as "lignum", is known to be the heaviest and most dense wood in the world. While most carvers shy away from the dense or heavy hardwoods, Mr. Bryan accepted this challenge with pride...and continued to carve some of the finest pieces in the woodcarving world.

Lancelot's ability to carve was only was half of his life passion. The other was his ability to communicate on a level and inspire everyone he came into contact with. He empowered and supported some of the hardest to reach young people and produced some of the best artists in world. Lance inspired and trained many young people both at the Mighty Gully and also in the UK, mainly in West Yorkshire.

Lance worked all over Yorkshire with young school children, teaching them basic wood carving skills and passing on his knowledge through his natural ability to tell a good story.

Many young people have also benefited from the tuition of Lancelots prize carvers. Lance and his team of wood carvers have delivered hundreds of workshops. All of Lancelots carvers both here in the UK and in Jamaica have had their lives changed by Lance's intervention. Many of his carving team have lived with Lance for most of their lives and followed him around the world. It is through these carvers that his stories and style of art will live on for future generations to enjoy.

Most recently Lance has worked with the BBC and was in the process of setting up a return trip to Jamaica with a film crew to document his life work. He was also planning to carve a piece for the President of America, President Obama. The appointment of a Black President had excited and inspired Lance to create a piece to celebrate something he never expected to see in his lifetime.

Lance will be a great loss to Old Harbour, Jamaica, Bradford, UK, Family and Friends.

see In Memory Of Lancelot Bryan on facebook lance gave so much to young people he was a very special person he touched everyones heart.