Shopping in St. Lucia: Color Find

Shopping in St. Lucia

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Bare-chested and barefoot, silky ringlets cascading past his shoulders and a sweating Piton by his side, artist Simon Gajadhar – known as Zaka “because nobody can bloody spell my name” – puts the final touches on one of his signature masks. Hundreds of finished pieces embellish the walls of his Soufriere, St. Lucia studio, their kaleidoscopic elongated forms ranging in size from a spindly 12 inches to an unabashedly oversize five feet long.

Born and raised in London, England, Gajadhar came to the island 18 years ago to visit his St Lucian father. “But I tore up my ticket, burnt my jacket, and couldn’t go back,” says the former shipwright and carpenter, who soon began experimenting with wood carving and adopted the name of the Haitian god of earth, trees and fields. More than 14 years later, his Crayola-bright masks and totems, crafted from recycled hardwoods and retired telephone poles, can be found in gift shops all over the island. And Gajadhar is so well known that mail addressed simply to “Zaka, St. Lucia” actually reaches him.

On a visit to his workshop, in the shadow of Petit Piton, shoppers can watch as Gajadhar’s small team of artisans transform the raw wood, which is carved, treated to resist insects, primed and painted with acrylics. Inside the tiny gingerbread cottage, whitewashed walls are punctuated with tempting pops of candy-like color, each piece evoking the island’s brilliant hues. And just like candy, it’s hard to choose only one. – SARAH GREAVES-GABBADON

From $20 to $900. 758-457-1504; zaka-art.com