Cy protection piece_4977 resize
“I pillage Nature unabashedly for her shapes and design cues”
 – Cy Hutchinson

My goal is to produce original work that is true to me and also to constantly challenge myself as my designs continue to evolve. 

A Collection of Pointless Objects 

A solo exhibition in October to November 2024 at The Queens Park Gallery, Bridgetown, Barbados

“Exquisite show Cy. It is beautiful, sensual and very moving.”

“Cy Hutchinson continues to create impressive and impactful work…Congrats!!!”

“I was moved to tears…”

 Pointless Object 20

Made with resin that I thicken to a clay like consistency with various additives and fiber reinforcement.
The process is one of addition and subtraction as opposed to working wood (my more regular process) which is one of subtraction alone.
In this process layers are continually added and refined until the desired shape is reached.
The work has influences from early Stone Age tools as well as skeletal structures found in nature, an area which I have found increasingly interesting over the years.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Composite construction

Dimensions: 98″ height

Pointless Object 19

Pierced ring in Barbados Mahogany.
One of my most technically challenging works to date as I wanted to have finely finished surfaces throughout the entire piece.

Influenced by Chinese Bi discs and ancient forms of currency.

Mounted on a custom made reclaimed composite material backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni).

Dimensions: 12″ diameter

 
Protection Series 17
Difficult to explain the pride I feel when I am given the opportunity to represent my country Barbados 🇧🇧 with my work.
Finely textured and ebonized section separated from the naturally finished and beautifully grained Barbadian mahogany section by a strong red line.

For many ancient cultures, red symbolized spiritual energy and power.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni).

Dimensions: 12″ diameter

Protection Series 16
Fluted and Ebonized Barbadian Mahogany with Macassar Ebony points and cord binding.

Mounted on reclaimed composite material backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni), Macassar Ebony (Diospyros celebica) and cord.

Dimensions: 41″ height.

Protection Series 15
Beautifully grained Poplar wood with African Blackwood points and cord binding. This work incorporates ideas developed from Zulu shields and shark gills.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) and cord.

Dimensions: 79″ height

Protection Series 14 S
English rippled Sycamore panels with ridged Wenge center and shaped Gabon Ebony points

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), Wenge (Millettia laurentii) and Gabon Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora)

Dimensions: 55″ height

Protection Series 13 S
Bookmatched Olive wood panels with Gliricidia center and beach harvested Gorgonia points

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Olive wood (Olea europaea), Gliricidia wood (Gliricidia sepium) and beach harvested Gorgonia.

Dimensions: 36″ height

Protection Series 12 photo

Protection Series 12
Reclaimed Greenheart with carbon fiber and solid 18k gold details.

This work along with Protection Series 11 was purchased by the Barbados National Art Gallery to be part of the Barbados National Collection.

The Greenheart for these two works was sourced from a boardwalk refurbishment in Bridgetown along the Careenage.
These were some of the supporting beams under the walkway that were being changed out and discarded and I was fortunate to get a few of them.
The planks waited patiently for a few years until I decided to use them in my current Series of work.
The pattern on the pierced piece – Protection Series 11 – was done entirely freehand and any defects, bolt or nail holes etc. were incorporated into the design. The drawing, piercing and subsequent cleaning up of the rough cut holes took months of work to do.
The piece was put aside at this point as something wasn’t quite right/there and while I worked on other projects, I slowly puzzled out what was bothering me visually and started binding the edges in various ways and with different materials until I finally settled on the sinew.
For those that are interested in such things, there are 130 holes along the two edges that were bound with sinew, each hole took between 4-8 feet of sinew and there are a total of 355 holes overall.
The piece with the carbon fiber – Protection Series 12 – had a very weathered texture which I appreciated and decided to work with, it also had two large holes (one top, one bottom) which I decided to mirror about a horizontal and vertical axis resulting in the eight holes that I had decided on for the finished work.
The carbon fiber piece was tapered both ends, bound with cord in selected areas and subtly highlighted with solid 18k gold which compliments and lifts the tones in the wood. It also satisfied my need to use modern materials in work representative of ancient artifacts.

The feeling of these pieces is intended to be one of age and power, they are objects for/from a leader’s ceremonial place, meant to convey his strength and capability.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei), carbon fiber and solid 18K gold.

Dimensions: 119″ height

Protection Series 11

Protection Series 11
Reclaimed Greenheart pierced texture with sinew binding.

This work along with Protection Series 12 was purchased by the Barbados National Art Gallery to be part of the Barbados National Collection.

The Greenheart for these two works was sourced from a boardwalk refurbishment in Bridgetown along the Careenage.
These were some of the supporting beams under the walkway that were being changed out and discarded and I was fortunate to get a few of them.
The planks waited patiently for a few years until I decided to use them in my current Series of work.
The pattern on the pierced piece – Protection Series 11 – was done entirely freehand and any defects, bolt or nail holes etc. were incorporated into the design. The drawing, piercing and subsequent cleaning up of the rough cut holes took months of work to do.
The piece was put aside at this point as something wasn’t quite right/there and while I worked on other projects, I slowly puzzled out what was bothering me visually and started binding the edges in various ways and with different materials until I finally settled on the sinew.
For those that are interested in such things, there are 130 holes along the two edges that were bound with sinew, each hole took between 4-8 feet of sinew and there are a total of 355 holes overall.
The piece with the carbon fiber – Protection Series 12 – had a very weathered texture which I appreciated and decided to work with, it also had two large holes (one top, one bottom) which I decided to mirror about a horizontal and vertical axis resulting in the eight holes that I had decided on for the finished work.
The carbon fiber piece was tapered both ends, bound with cord in selected areas and subtly highlighted with solid 18k gold which compliments and lifts the tones in the wood. It also satisfied my need to use modern materials in work representative of ancient artifacts.

The feeling of these pieces is intended to be one of age and power, they are objects for/from a leader’s ceremonial place, meant to convey his strength and capability.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei) and sinew

Dimensions: 119″ height

Protection Series 10
Freeform hand sculpted piece in salvaged Rosewood.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.)

Dimensions: 52″ length

Protection Series 9
Hand carved Barbadian Ebony body and hand shaped bronze points with design based on shapes and forms found in sea life.

Mounted on reclaimed composite material backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Barbados Ebony (Albizia lebbeck) and bronzeDimensions: 38″ height.


Protection Series 8
Freeform hand sculpted work. This piece furthers my development and exploration of textures found on flaked stone tools.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Composite constructionDimensions: 96″ height

Protection Series 7
Hand carved Poplar freeform with genuine aged bronze finish.

Mounted on reclaimed composite material backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and bronze.Dimensions: 70″ height


Protection Series 6
Textured and ebonized Barbadian Mahogany with Anodyne center and points.

Purchased by the National Cultural Foundation (Barbados) and is now part of their Permanent Collection.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni) and Anodyne (Thespesia populnea)Dimensions: 92″ height

Protection Series 3
Purpleheart with hand carved texture evolved from that found on flaked stone tools.

Mounted on reclaimed composite material backboard – wall hung.

Material: Purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.)Dimensions: 40″ height


Protection Series 2
Disc in Barbadian Mahogany with hand carved flaked stone texture and ebonized detail.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Material: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni)Dimensions: 14″ diameter


Protection Series 1
Work in Barbadian Mahogany with hand carved texture evolved from that found on flaked stone tools.

Mounted on a custom made canvas covered backboard – wall hung.

Material: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni)Dimensions: 44″ height

Weed Seed

Weed Seed was part of the National Cultural Foundation’s exhibition “Our Land” in 2022. It was purchased by the National Cultural Foundation and is now part of their permanent collection.

Material: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni)
Dimensions: 25″ length

Weed Seed is part of a  series based on the premise that ARTISTS ARE WEEDS, we are the unwanted, the misunderstood; rejected and discarded like weeds, yet if given a chance, like weeds we produce the most beautiful blooms and create wild beauty. I use carefully selected pieces of wood chosen for intense grain patterns or other special attributes which I spend much time orienting to best balance the grain to the shape and proportions. I then decide on detailing to add layers and complexities that define or highlight certain areas after which I finish the work to a level that suits the  individual piece and mount it on to its base.

Deep Sea Creature 9

Deep Sea Creature 9 continues the series inspired by shapes, forms and creatures found in our oceans. This particular work is based on jellyfish.

This open vessel is made from Norfolk Island Pine wood and 72  reclaimed stainless steel nails which were straightened, cut to various lengths and tapered.
 

Materials: Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)Dimensions: 10” height

Mahogany Sphere

Solid Barbadian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) sphere with textured and ebonized bands, stand sculpted with leather lined cradle for sphere.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Sweitenia mahagoni)Dimensions: Sphere – 7 inches diameter, stand 11 inches length

Cy Hutchinson Art

Textured ebonized vessel
An exploration in texture. 

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)Dimensions: 20cm/8 inches high

Primitive modern 6
This is the latest work in my Primitive Modern line  where I pay the utmost respect to the so called  ‘primitive’ craftsmen who came before us.  

My aim is to create objects from ancient times using modern or space age materials from the time we  live in now.  

This spear was designed after much research into traditional African tribal spears. These objects constantly amaze and bewilder me with their design complexity and quality of making, especially considering the limited tools available to these amazing craftsmen. 

One of the biggest benefits in doing this series and in particular this object is that in trying to capture the essence and feel of the original works of art, I have had to add an organic element into my design and especially the making of my work. 

I have learnt that the overall aesthetic is greatly improved by embracing and working with – accepting and balancing slight irregularities that will happen in the making process. 

All elements of this spear I hand crafted myself from raw materials – Cordia wood, stainless steel plate and rod, carbon fiber tow (yarn), nylon cord and epoxy. 
Awarded The Governor’s Award Crop Over Visual Arts Festival 2019. This piece is now a part of The National Collection of Barbados. 

Materials: Cordia wood (Cordia sebestena), stainless steel  and carbon fiber.Dimensions: 193 cm or 76 inches.

Cy Hutchinson Art

trying to find…
This work titled ‘trying to find…’ received the 2019 Central Bank Award of Excellence and has become part of the National Collection of Barbados and is displayed in the Central Bank of Barbados.  

Piece done to address and work through personal challenges. 

Materials: Barbados Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), Saman/Monkeypod wood (Samanea saman), bronzeDimensions: 220cm or 86 inches.

Cy Hutchinson Art

Norfolk Island Pine Vessel
This 14” tall Norfolk Island Pine vessel has for me a good balance of spalted and clean wood.The blank for this piece was carefully left to spalt which caused the black streaking, then first turned while still quite wet. 

After being left to dry it was then re-turned and finished. 

This piece also displays beautiful chatoyance. 

Materials: Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)Dimensions: 14” height

Cy Hutchinson Art

 Pod 3 – Hidden agendas
Pod 3 shown closed and opened to reveal the strong red inside finish. Textured and ebonized mahogany with textured stainless steel ends. 

Materials: Barbados Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), stainless steelDimensions: Approximately 34” length

Cy Hutchinson Art

Deep Sea Creature 4
Approximately 1400 copper nails were glued into the interior of this mahogany form depicting a fearsome creature from the dark depths of the ocean. 

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), copper nails and carbon fiber.Dimensions:

Cy Hutchinson Art

Mango wood hollow form
Commissioned piece made from a mango tree that the client’s grandparents planted. Textured and ebonized mango body with figured natural mango rim.  

Materials: Mango wood (Mangifpra indica)Dimensions: 9” diameter.

Cy Hutchinson Art

Separated
Stylized bird foot carved from Barbados mahogany and then ebonized. Really enjoyed doing this piece which is titled Separated.  

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)Dimensions: Base: 30” by 15”

Spitting image
Great pains were taken to match, as closely as possible, the grain, shape and detailing of this pair of enclosed  forms in Barbadian Mahogany. 

Materials: Barbados Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni).Dimensions: Larger form is 9.5” diameter by 6” height.

Cy Hutchinson Art

Primitive Modern 5 – The Spoils

The fifth work in my Primitive Modern series where I strive to use modern materials and methods to create object from a primitive time.

The Spoils – Returning home from a successful hunt, the ceremonial vessel is called for into which some of the spoils are placed to thank the Gods.

Materials: Barbados mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), stainless steel, carbon fiber, spectra/dyneema cordDimensions: Approx. 14″ height

Cy Hutchinson Art

Careened II
careen/kuh-reen/ verb (of a ship) tilt to one sideModelled from the hull shape below the waterline of a ship from the late 1700s. Careened II is made from a beautiful piece of Casuarina with bronze nails from the same era representing her keel. Inspired by the once common sight in Bridgetown of boats tilted on their side for repair and maintenance below their waterline.This wooden hand-carved hull showcases the shape below the waterline with centuries old bronze nails representing her keel. She lies dutifully on her side echoing countless ancestors who came to our Careenage.This piece was awarded the Governor General’s Award of Excellence at NIFCA 2013.

Materials: Casuarina wood (Casuarina equisetfolia), bronze nailsDimensions: 17 inches length

Cy Hutchinson Art

Careened
These works are done to remember the once common practice of tilting a boat on its side to allow for repairs and maintenance work to be carried out below the waterline. The keels are represented by centuries old bronze ship building nails which were personally found and recovered whilst freediving – one of my passions!  

Materials: Cordia wood (Cordia sebestena), bronze nailsDimensions: Approx. 7 inches

Cy Hutchinson Art

Cordia with Shipwreck Nails
This work was hand carved by eye out of Cordia wood. Inspired by the beautiful shapes of ancient Egyptian and Viking ships.Bronze shipwreck nails circa 1800 line the rim like oars and their corroded texture helps take the piece back in time. 

Materials: Cordia wood (Cordia sebestena), salvaged shipwreck bronze nailsDimensions: 30” length

Cy Hutchinson Art

Deep Sea Creature – Jelly 3
Materials: Barbados mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), stainless steelDimensions: 5.5” diameter. 

Cy Hutchinson Art

Cobbler
Cobbler (Barbadian slang for a black sea urchin). Around 130 spines were individually turned, textured and then fitted to the central egg. 

This piece was awarded the Governor General’s Award of Excellence at NIFCA 2011.

Materials: Bajan Ebony (Albizia lebbeck)Dimensions: 30” diameter

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