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Excerpt from the Acting Director's Foreword

"This exhibition marks two important moments at the NAGB. The first is producing a major exhibition in a National space where the artist is not local but from another Caribbean region. The thinking here is that as a National institution, it is our responsibility to ensure that local artists, critics and curators get to experience and dialogue with what is considered the best in the visual arts arena. In places like London, the National Gallery shows work by non-British artists such as Caravaggio for exactly the same reason why we are showing Ras Ishi.

The second is about regional and global collegiate partnerships. In my period as Acting Director, I am very keen to embark on a series of collaborative projects with local Bahamian artists, curators and critics as well as institutions and colleagues who are from the Caribbean and European region.

This project marks the first in a series of exchange projects with places such as Barbados, Martinique, Zambia and Liverpool, England. In order for the NAGB and The Bahamas' community to grow and develop, it is important we continue to push and question our national and international boundaries in constant critical dialogue with our national and international partners and not work in isolation. Ras Ishi, for us, represents and marks this important shift."

-David A. Bailey, M.B.E.