Lester Gunter
Born in 1936,
"My approach to painting is to create images which relate to the Black experience. My pictures do not attempt to make any social or moral comment. Painting to me is a way of expressing my feelings. As an artist the excitement of creating a picture never leaves me. I try to capture the essence of my subject; whether it be a person or an object. My work is basically a reflection of the past, present and future. I hope the people who view my work in the form of color and dimension will be inspired.
Lester Gunter, son of a goldsmith, was born in Trinity Ville, Saint Thomas, Jamaica, West Indies. His studies include: The Jamaica School of Art from 1958 to 1963, Art Students League in New York from 1968 to 1970 and the National Academy of Fine Art from 1970-1972, where he won the James Augustus Suydam Bronze Medal Award for best Figure Painting. Gunter has studied under renowned artists Mayo Cousins, Robert Sawyers, Robert Brackman, Robert Phillipp, Hugh Gumpel and Julian Levi.
He has exhibited his work in several one man shows including the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York; Gallery + in the Valley, Jamaica, West Indies; The Jamaica Contemporary Association, Kingston; St. Andrew Parrish Library; and The Institute of Jamaica.