George Town residents will find their daily commute a bit visually different with a new art installation placed at the Rotary Central bus shelter on Fairbanks Road.
The art installation is part of the ‘Digital Artist in Residency’ initiative, a partnership with Cayman Enterprise City and Notable Island that supports artists in the community.
Designed by Caymanian digital artist Michael ‘BananaArtKid’ Mothen, the artwork tells the story of a catboat travelling to and from home, similar to the purpose of Cayman’s bus transportation service.
“I am delighted to see Caymanian art displayed in such a unique and prominent way,” Mothen told the Cayman Compass.
“Typically, when I see the bus shelters around the island, they are used for advertising, so I was thrilled when the Cayman Enterprise City marketing team approached me with the idea of highlighting digital art instead.
“This opportunity inspired me to create something personal that blends Caymanian heritage with the theme of travel, making it a perfect fit for a bus shelter,” he added.
A tapestry of culture and beauty
Mothen explained each panel of the bus shelter features its own illustrated piece, yet they all connect to form a narrative.
“The middle panel features an illustration of a Caymanian catboat with the year 1904 written as the name as a nod to the first recorded catboat that was built by Daniel Jervis,” he said.
“On one of the outer panels, it shows a Caymanian woman using a conch shell to signal the catboat’s homecoming, while the other outer panel showcases the CEC iconic star logo made from flowers, surrounded by the yellow and white butterflies that flutter around Cayman during spring.”
Mothen said he hopes residents will appreciate “the blend of historical and contemporary elements”.
Kaitlyn Elphinstone, chief marketing and strategy officer at CEC, told the Compass that it’s been a pleasure to work with Mohen and feature his work.
“The bus shelter is the first in a series of projects that we’ll be working with Michael to produce. We’re excited to see what’s next,” Elphinstone said.
“Cayman Enterprise City is home to a vibrant community, and we thought a Digital Artist in Residency Programme would be the perfect addition to complement the work that we’re doing through the NPO Enterprise Cayman and while we embark on building CEC’s corporate art collection.”
CEC has incorporated other art installations, including CEC’s new Signal House facilities and 2474 Café, featuring work by Shane ‘Dready’ Aquârt.
Mothen hopes when people see the artwork, they will feel a sense of pride in seeing Caymanian heritage and culture.
“My aim was to pay tribute to our past way of life while connecting it to the present. This intention is a cornerstone to all my work, as I have a deep appreciation and admiration for our history,” he said.
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