Born in Belize City in 1959, Lola has spent decades painting the vibrant everyday life of her Garifuna village of Seine Bight. Using acrylics on canvas, boat sail cloth, calabash, and driftwood, she creates her signature faceless figures inspired by Belize’s sea, culture, and traditions. As she paints, she loves to share the stories, history, and heritage of both the Garifuna and Creole peoples of Belize. The Garifuna, she explains, are descendants of African survivors of a shipwreck near St. Vincent who intermarried with the island’s Carib native peoples, forming the community once known as the Black Caribs. After siding with the French in a conflict, they were exiled by the British to Honduras’ Bay Islands, eventually spreading to Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Painting has always been a part of Lola. Her parents told her that she began to show her artistic side at age 2; she had confidently painted the walls of their home with her mother’s lipstick and nail polish. Fortunately for her – and us! – her parents bought her proper art materials and her creativity flowed.
From Norway to New York – Lola’s artwork is displayed worldwide, but you don’t have to travel far to own a piece yourself. Hamanasi Resort proudly sells Lola’s original pieces in our gift shop. They are beautiful, meaningful gifts to bring the spirit of Belize home with you.
Select a painting by Lola from Hamanasi’s gift shop for your home.