Scribd
Upload
45 views1 page

Document 21

George Simon was a prominent Guyanese Lokono Arawak artist and archaeologist, known for his contributions to Amerindian culture and the development of opportunities for Amerindian artists in Guyana. He founded the Lokoro Artists Group and created notable paintings that reflect his cultural heritage. Born in 1947, Simon faced challenges in expressing his culture during his early education but later excelled in various subjects and art.

Uploaded by

seth.malachi09
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
45 views1 page

Document 21

George Simon was a prominent Guyanese Lokono Arawak artist and archaeologist, known for his contributions to Amerindian culture and the development of opportunities for Amerindian artists in Guyana. He founded the Lokoro Artists Group and created notable paintings that reflect his cultural heritage. Born in 1947, Simon faced challenges in expressing his culture during his early education but later excelled in various subjects and art.

Uploaded by

seth.malachi09
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

George Simon (23 April 1947 – 15 July 2020) was a Guyanese Lokono Arawak

artist and archaeologist. He was the founder and mentor of the Lokoro Artists
Group, a group of Lokoro artists from Guyana, based primarily in Simon's
hometown of St. Cuthbert's Mission Simon was widely regarded as one of the
leading Guyanese artists of his generation, and his paintings (acrylic on canvas,
paper or twill fabric) are notable for their explorations of Amerindian culture and
the Guyanese environment. He was also recognized for his achievements as an
educator, his efforts to develop opportunities for Amerindian artists in Guyana, and
for his work as an archaeologist.

Early Years

George Simon was born on 23 April 1947 to Olive and Mark Simon in St.
Cuthbert's Mission on the Mahaica River in British Guiana (now Guyana). His
father was a woodcutter, and his mother was a housewife. Simon attended school
at St Cuthbert's Mission up until the age of 12. Discussing his early years in an
interview from 1994/5, Simon recalled the way in which the Mission school stifled
expressions of Amerindian culture: "Anyone found speaking Arawak in class was
flogged [...] In general, Amerindian culture was discouraged and we were made to
feel inferior".
When he was 12 years old, Simon was adopted by James William Pink - an
English Anglican priest who was serving in the Mahaica-Berbice region at that
time. He subsequently moved with his foster-father to Linden and then to
Georgetown, where he studied English, Mathematics, Geography, Hygiene,
Physiology and Art at Christ Church Secondary School.

You might also like