Antonius Roberts
Antonius Roberts (born 1958) is a Bahamian artist.
Biography
Born in Nassau, Roberts received his BFA in painting from the Philadelphia College of Art. He has participated in exhibitions worldwide, and has served as a teacher and lecturer at numerous Bahamian institutions. With Brent Malone, Max Taylor, Stan Burnside, Jackson Burnside and John Beadle, he in 1991 founded B.-C.A.U.S.E, an organization dedicated to the promotion of local art and artists. Roberts played a large role in the creation of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, and holds a lifetime membership in the institution.
Roberts was Curator of the Central Bank of The Bahamas gallery for most of its existence. Prior to the creation of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, the Central Bank's gallery was The Bahamas' preeminent exhibition space. Roberts has been a key driving and developmental force during the 25-year history of the Annual Art Competition and Exhibition sponsored by the Central Bank. Since its inception, the competition is renowned as a rite of passage for young Bahamian artists, and counts among its past winners many of today's top Bahamian artists.
More recently, Roberts has created a series of "sacred spaces", installations of female figures carved from dead but rooted trees. The first of these, consisting of 12 figures, marks one of the first landing sites of slaves in the Bahamas. The artist has since created similar installations at other sites.
Roberts' work is in numerous worldwide collections. Currently, he lives and works in the Bahamas.