Jallim Eudovic is a sculptor from St. Lucia. His work, wood, bronze and marble sculptures, are rooted in the Saint Lucian/Caribbean culture but enjoys international appeal. He has been invited to various parts of the world, including China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Africa, Martinique and has been entrusted with the work of creating sculptures for public spaces in several Chinese cities where he has erected seven monumental sculptures to date.
Jallim Eudovic
Some of his more recent works include a government-commissioned public monument for the Castries waterfront in St Lucia entitled “All In” to commemorate the island’s independence. Additionally, he has exhibited at the Afro Future Art Exhibition (Miami, 2019), the Zari Gallery (London, 2016), at Carifesta, Suriname (2013), the Stephen Lawrence Centre in London (2016), the 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel (New York, 2017) and in various group shows in France and Martinique. One of his most consistent foreign ports of call is China, where he has been invited to create public works for the cities of Zhengzhou, Changchun and Fuzhou since 2008.
Eudovic is a wholly indigenous talent. His early education comes from his father, famed St Lucian wood sculptor Joseph Eudovic and later, through his many international exploits which shaped his life’s philosophy and made him a relevant voice in the African diaspora. He is well-known through the Eastern Caribbean and beyond, though he remains in St Lucia, and draws on the indigenous knowledge of the island for his work. His “Koudmen” series, for example, portrays customs of the islands that promote a cooperative and interdependent approach to development, and existence itself.
He has been featured in numerous International publications such as Ebony (April 2015), International Kreol Magazine (August 2015), Garage and ARC (August 2014) magazines, China Sculpture Magazine, Upscale Magazine; and television programs such as PBS’s The Travel Writer, NBC’s The Voyager and has been praised by curators and historians. The Jamaican curator, Ludlow Bailey, founder of Contemporary African Diaspora Art (CADA) in Miami lauds him as “a trailblazer amongst the new breed of Caribbean artists” who is “the leading young artist in St Lucia” and an “outstanding cultural ambassador for the creative legacy of St Lucia”.
His work can also be found in some of the world’s most important collections, most notably that of famed French gallerist and curator Agnes Monplaisir Pellerin and Sarah Weir (OBE), CEO of The Design Counsil UK. His work has been commissioned as gifts for Prince Harry and Duchess Kate; Prince Charles; Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg; President Of Mexico, Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador; (former) President of Chile, Ms Michelle Bachelet; head of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres.
He is one of the youngest directors to serve on the board of St. Lucia’s main cultural organization The Cultural Development Foundation (CDF), which has the dual mandate of preserving and developing the island’s art and cultural heritage. He is also an executive member of St. Lucia’s Archaeological and Historic Society (AHS).
These roles have deepened his passion for St Lucia’s burgeoning creative industries, one of the tangible outcomes being the launching of his company “PAPA BOIS”, a venture which seeks to rescue the indigenous basket weavers and potters from St Lucia’s craft Mecca, the rural district of Choiseul, from economic collapse. This Eudovic plans to achieve through a series of interventions which will seek to develop these indigenous products to fit current market standards, share contemporary knowledge and strategies with indigenous artisans, package and market and distribute these products on the regional and local spaces, give artisans access to training, and ultimately increase the value of their products in order to ensure sustainability.
Eudovic’s ability to use and articulate native traditions has resulted in his being sought as a speaker at home and abroad. He gave the Up/Rising Lecture at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (St. Lucia) in February 2019, as well as a special address as the keynote speaker at the 2019 Prime Minister’s Ball. He also is frequently invited to schools, and to speak with the art teachers on the island about the importance of the teaching of their craft. He also trains many young people in sculpture at his workshop. He was a speaker and contributor to the “Art of Black” panel discussion and show in Art Basel, Miami (2016).