Stanwyck E. Cromwell is a Guyanese-born, second generation visual artist and Adjunct Professor of art at Capital Community College in Hartford, CT. He has spent the vast majority of his adult life in the U.S. and currently resides in Bloomfield, CT. Despite his lengthy absence from his country of origin, his memories of Guyana are rich and abundant. The mixture of cultures in American society has played a very important role in his ability to create art that speaks not only to the eyes, but most importantly, to the soul. His work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and is included in nearly two dozen public and private collections across the country.  A member of many visual arts organizations, including Weusi Artists Collective, Harlem, NY, and Black Dimensions in Art, Albany, NY, Cromwell earned his MFA from the University of Hartford, CT.

 

With saturated colors and patterns, often combining paintings of his drawings and drawings of his paintings, Cromwell creates a visual kaleidoscope of his cultural identity. 

Wide noses and thick lips are frequent in much of his work, not as cultural stereotypes, but to emphasize the natural beauty of African features. The multicolored, mask-like images reflect the fusion of both the Guyanese-African and indigenous cultures, and the rich and diverse pageantry of carnival. His work also incorporates imaginary and spiritual concepts. Drawing on myth and folklore enables Cromwell to stretch his imagination to the fullest extent of its elasticity. The results are both visually and spiritually stimulating.