Cayman Islands’ Creative Polymath Exhibits at Stratford Arthouse
Caymanian creative polymath, Lady Rabia will exhibit her cartoon art series “New Heroes Wanted” in the UK for the first time at Stratford ArtsHouse in Stratford Upon Avon. Lady Rabia, a TEDx speaker and Stratford’s newest creative powerhouse, is known for her writing, illustrations, performance poetry, master storytelling, cultural activism and creative entrepreneurship as a children’s media creator. Stratford ArtsHouse invited Lady Rabia to show her work from February 19th — March 2nd.
The “New Heroes Wanted” exhibit features over 30 illustrations of the character stars from her culturally-inspired children’s books series. A specialist at creating universally appealing characters who act as cultural ambassadors, Lady Rabia will release her books in the UK this spring. The series are also being prepped for theatrical and TV animation production. Lady Rabia, who is the only hand-drawn cartoonist from the Caymans and a Patron of the Children’s Media Foundation, stated, “Intercultural relations can be enhanced by highlighting our similarities, as opposed to our differences. “Edu-taining” media is a powerful tool to achieve that.”
Lady Rabia’s achievements, and her pioneering work, are awe-inspiring on many levels. As a visually impaired artist with keratoconus, she launched the Cayman Islands’ first culturally-inspired children’s book series only months after rescuing her six children who were being held in the Middle East. In 2014, she received the country’s highest award for creativity, the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) Silver Star.
Lady Rabia recently moved to Stratford Upon Avon to set up the global headquarters for her children’s media company, ContessaBlack Entertainment. Regarding this art show Lady Rabia stated, “I am very pleased to be invited by Stratford ArtsHouse for this solo showing. It is a wonderful way to introduce my art because it is where I live and work.”
Stratford ArtsHouse is expecting a footfall of over 5,000 people during the next few weeks for a variety of sold out events. The General Manager, Clare Allen, noted, ‘We are delighted to be hosting this charming exhibition, especially as so many visitors will be able to enjoy it. The exhibition has universal appeal and will undoubtedly delight our diverse audiences.’
