Artist Profile
Roy Lawaetz is the inventor/theorist of “The Modular Triangular System” which he crafted with inspirational cultural heritage roots from the Caribbean. Born in Frederiksted, St. Croix on Dec 9, 1942 he assimilated proto type formats for painting in alternative response to painting on rectangles. His mentor extraordinaire was Victor Candell, a Hungarian American who taught at Cooper Union, New York University and the Provincetown Workshop.
He has exhibited in more than 100 exhibitions, in countries such as Germany, Denmark, France, Brazil, Belgium, USA and the Caribbean, many of them in International Biennials and Juried exhibitions such as the 1996 Biennale de Sao Paulo which included artists such as Klee, Munch, Picasso, Goya, Warhol etc. Demonstrating that triangles in combination could mirror organic shapes in nature more emphatically than standard rectangular supports he continues to promote his artistic agenda worldwide in books, lectures and exhibitions.
Brazilian art critic Ivor Zanini in Jornal da Critica (Dec 1996) counted him among the few moderns who did not replicate at the 1996 International Sao Paulo Bienal and who contributed to art’s rejuvenation with a fresh vision. In 2000 Roy Lawaetz published his definitive theoretical work “The Modular Triangular System”, a lavishly printed publication, which articulated his visual discoveries. In September 2007 one of his paintings “ Crucifixion Icon” was selected in the “Best of Painting” category in New York by a panel of professional jurors at Manhattan Arts International. He continues to actively participate in International exhibitions such as the 6 th edition of the 2007 Florence Biennale, Italy where he was awarded a Lorenzo Il Magnifico Premio for his exhibition “Biennale Beyond the Walls.” His triangular-based proto-types augment an alluring portrayal of the West Indies as a rich cultural mix with engaging syntax for art innovation, environment and cultural heritage.
He is scheduled to exhibit at St. Croix’s Maufe Gallery Feb 21 before leaving for his next European tour.
Praise for Roy Lawaetz
"This innovator from St. Croix has made a singularly stimulating contribution to the art world by providing an alternative to the Hegemonic Rule of the Rectangle."
Richard Oxman, former professor
(Read article about Roy Lawaetz in the Reading Room.)
"In a context where so much art looks like the desperate somersaulting of those pleading for attention, claiming novelty, it is so refreshing to see something so genuinely new that brings the Caribbean to life through both history and reinterpretation."
Dr. Maximilian C. Forte Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Dept.Sociology and Anthropology,CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, Montreal,Canada
“Your contribution to modern art is done in a distinct manner that has not been done before.”
Dr. Ricardo E. Alegria, Director, Institute of Advanced Studies in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
“Roy Lawaetz is a very innovative artist with a new way of looking at art.”
Vice President Jens Olesen, Sao Paulo International Biennale, Brazil
“Unanimously observers have concluded that the works of Roy Lawaetz were the most impressive of the Caribbean artists at the 23rd International Sao Paulo Bienal 1996.”
Art Critic Marianne de Tolentino, Coordinator of the Cultural Center of the Caribbean “ Cariforum”, Palacio Bellas Artes, Santo Domingo, DR
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