Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has paid tribute to Patrick Michael Foster, the renowned Caribbean artist, playwright, actor, director, and author, who passed away recently.
Below is the full statement by Prime Minister Mottley:
It cannot be denied that there are some very special individuals who walk among us, whose personalities and contributions to the betterment of mankind can only be described in superlatives. Patrick Michael Foster, legendary artist, playwright, actor, director and author, was one such individual, and his passing just days ago will leave a huge void in many areas of our national creative enterprise.
Patrick was indeed a Caribbean man — born in Guyana, schooled in Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom and resident in Barbados for most of his adult life — whose creative genius reflected that regional spirit that should forever beckon us as Caribbean people to embrace our cultural uniqueness and our African heritage.
Whether it is through his sketches or paintings, his writing or his directing, his acting or on-air adventures, Patrick has left a body of work, a legacy of creativity, that provides a rich cultural playbook of Caribbean life as the perfect guide for any young and aspiring thespian. I considered myself lucky to have been exposed to different aspects of his work from a very young age.
Patrick was as unique as he was talented, so much so that while he sprang from the renowned Faster clan that included another legend of the arts in Barbados, Simon Foster, he charted his own path of distinction by tapping into the folklore of the region with unmatched success.
Barbados and the region have lost a legend indeed, but I am confident that the works he has left behind will sustain our appetite for the highest quality offerings of the arts for years to come. It is my wish that those who worked with Patrick in the creative industry, as well as those at the National Cultural Foundation and other State agencies charged with the promotion and preservation of our culture, will use the occasion of his passing to do what we have not done as well as we could have while he walked among us, ensure that young Barbadians are offered unparalleled exposure to the creative genius of this adopted Bajan.
On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I extend sincere sympathy to the Foster family and the family of Barbadian and Caribbean creatives.
Rest in peace and rise in glory.
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