Organized by the Centre des arts actuels SKOL and the Consulate General of France in Quebec, the Villa Sylva exchange residency invites two visual artists (one from French Guiana and one from Quebec) to explore another region and meet its cultural and artistic stakeholders. The residency of Guyanese artist Kafé Betian, in collaboration with Puamuna and the Centre SAGAMIE, began with a residency at Puamuna in Mashteuiatsh and continues from May 19 to 22 at the Centre SAGAMIE in Alma.
Kafé Betian is a sculptor and musician. He comes from a lineage of Saamaka sculptors from Western Guyana, whose specialty is woodcarving, known as “Tembé.” From an early age, his father imparted to him the skills, knowledge, and spirituality inherent in wood. After pursuing other paths, he returned to this craft. His hope today is to pass on this legacy, to keep this living memory alive, and to show younger generations that it's possible to make a living from one's cultural heritage. He founded his company to formalize a practice that had long been carried out informally. His sculpture is rooted in tradition: everyday objects, chairs, paddles, and Tembé motifs. He now expresses the need to create differently, to take the time to reflect and feel, and to produce work that is free-spirited, born of encounters, experiences, and new materials.
Kafé Betian views the residency project as an inner and outer journey, a way to open up a space for creativity and dialogue. It's a research-based initiative that will explore memory, the forest, and the passing down of traditions, as well as art's ability to break free from conventions to reconnect with what truly matters. For Kafé Betian, this residency will also be an opportunity for to learn, reinvent himself, and expand his practice. It may give rise to other hybrid projects and new collaborations.
