Imij Ink

Raskassa’s Heart of Arts
By Stan Bishop

Raskassa's slight grin unmasks his serious passion for his craft. (Photo by Stan Bishop)

Raskassa is one eccentric brother. Not crazy – just eccentric. And so, too, are his works of art. All of his creative pieces have a story behind them, too. But all of these pieces piece together a story of determination, passion, resilience and being true to one’s self. Raskassa is himself a brilliant work of art that becomes even better with time.

Born Arthur Samuel Richardson, the Vieux Fort native’s father seems to have left an indelible impression on the man who now eats, sleeps and breathes arts and craft (and a little poetry mixed in for good measure). Raskassa says his father was a mason by trade but dabbled in arts and craft as well. His father, he says, taught him as a boy how to make cups from bamboo and coconut shells which he (the father) would sell to people within the community to complement his income.

After leaving home, Arthur decided to draw on the experience his father had taught him and make a living off it as well. In 1974, he erected a shop on John Compton Highway to create his works of art “but that was later demolished by de System”. From there he moved to Anse La Raye, then to Soufriere before journeying on to Vieux Fort. Those moves, too, were motivated by the System demolishing his craft shops, he recalls.

Feeling victimized and frustrated, Raskassa says he left Saint Lucia for quite some time to clear his thoughts. He ended up traversing through Central and South America, visiting most of the countries there and meeting a few of their presidents along the way. While there, he says, the people showed much appreciation for his talents and he, too, learned quite a lot from them, especially their cultures.

Upon returning to Saint Lucia seven years ago, Raskassa set up shop along the Vide Boutielle Highway near the La Clery roundabout. Sandwiched between Avis Rent A Car and Harbour Light Inn, Raskassa’s movement that began four decades ago seems to have finally beaten the System. In the seven years that he has settled there, Raskassa’s Art Gallery has quickly blossomed into not only a creative masterpiece but a symbol of resilience.

But just when one would have thought that Raskassa’s eye-catching creations would realize even bigger harvests, the deeply spiritual rootsman is setting out on yet another journey. It turns out that had this interview with him been delayed any longer, the opportunity to reveal the man behind the great works of art along the Vide Boutielle Highway would have been missed.

“It’s about to come to an end soon because I’ll be leaving here,” he tells me, looking up at the walls of chiseled wooden pieces and paintings on pieces of leather. “I’m going to Africa on a tour. So it’s a closing era, so I am in tune with the time setting. But before I leave, I will be having a major two-week exhibition beginning in mid-July. Hopefully, it would be held in Derek Walcott Square.”

Prices for his pieces, he says, vary. But he gives the assurance that customers will walk away with something beautiful for as low as a couple of dollars. He is also willing to offer discounts to customers.

Raskassa sits on his throne of arts. (Photo by Stan Bishop)

Raskassa specializes in creating decorative ornaments, paintings, sculptures, and other craft items which his children then sell to visitors at Pointe Seraphine. But quite apart from making a living off the best trade he has ever known, Raskassa says his is a business that is beyond mere dollars and cents. It’s a movement, he tells me emphatically.

“As you know, culture is the fundamental presentation of genuine human values. So if you have true culture, then there’s no problem. You must survive. We need to focus on developing the creative work and go forward with it. I live by my works and I’m very happy and satisfied because self-reliance is the master key to any form of development. You have to be self-reliant and you have to be productive,” Raskassa explains.

Many moons ago, young Arthur’s father gave him the spiritual name “Raskassa”. Translated, “Ras” means “king”, and “kassa” means “throne”. How prophetic the name has proven to be! Today, despite all the journeys and fight-downs, Raskassa says he truly feels like a king sitting on a throne. He says he feels and sees a sense of peace and harmony in the pieces he creates that sooner or later – like him – will themselves embark on their own journeys after being sold.

For more information about Raskassa’s Art Gallery, contact him at 384 7902 or 716 3639. Customers can also check him out at his art gallery to make purchases and/or hear him recite his poems.