“The Waitukubuli Artist Association was going to host its second hurricane-based exhibition - WhoOosh!!2 - and for my main piece, the first thing which came to mind was a woman, Maria, dancing the cultural dance 'Bele'. Since Bele is such a vigorous dance, I imagined Maria's movements being so powerful that as she spins around the winds cause the foliage around her to move as well, even the sky. At the same time, she has long hair which leaves trails of water, representing the wet aspect of a hurricane. I painted Maria from a low perspective to convey that she's a giant, hence why her movements result in a hurricane. Maria was simply enjoying herself to a dance of Bele when the force of her movements stirred up a storm. She brought the rhythm, the wind, and the water, and at the end of it all left us with a hurricane. That woman was powerful!

Everything is really a process, and we must trust it. In art, what you have in the beginning often turns out different in the end. And what you think doesn't look good at first, can surprise you with more time spent working on it.”

- Sarama Rolle

The Waitukubuli Artist Association was formed in 2017 just before the passage of Category 5 Hurricane Maria. The group is diverse, comprising of artists of all ages, working in many mediums. WAA's goal is to spread the joy of art, provide a community for artists, and to elevate both the quality and the appreciation of art in Dominica, and beyond. Four of the Dominican artists featured - Marica Honychurch, Yuria A. Jones, Michael Lees, and Sarama Rolle- are part of the association.

IG@kubuliarts