Jallim Eudovic’s Monumental Art

After having seven of his captivating monuments become permanent fixtures in four Chinese cities, Saint Lucian sculptor, Jallim Eudovic, has finally managed to have his first work of amazing art on permanent display in his native Saint Lucia.

The big reveal came in early October when Jallim’s “All In” monument was unveiled near the Castries Waterfront, a bronze display featuring four people rowing towards the nearby Castries Harbour. The monument was a commissioned piece in observance of Saint Lucia’s 40th anniversary of Independence.

“The monument is about transcendence,” he told SLYOU Magazine in an interview just days after the unveiling. “I’ve used the oars as metaphors for transcendence. It means we have to rise above anything that keeps us back: enmity, partisan politics, and pettiness. It’s about being our brother’s and sister’s keepers. So anyone can fit into the sculpture psychologically.” The sculpture features rowing motions at different stages but is in itself a collective. While many people comment about the absence of a boat in the monument, Jallim said a boat is not needed as the journey is more spiritual than physical.

“The oars are remnants of the past, God is the boat and the journey is spiritual. We are essentially the boats or the vessels. The monument demonstrates that we all can pick ourselves up by the bootstraps because we are powerful beyond measure. But we also have a responsible to sustain our society for future generations,” Jallim, 39, explained.

The monument also pays tribute to the four primary ethnic groups that helped shape the Saint Lucian society: Europeans, Amerindians, Africans and East Indians. Jallim said that despite the strides Saint Lucians continue to make, they must never forget those who played a crucial role in our survival. Responding to comments from the public’s varying interpretations about the monument (many say it’s a representation of slavery), Jallim said he welcomed the fact that the monument has a sparked a national debate.

“We’ve never had the opportunity to have a serious public debate about art,” the artist who learned the trade in his childhood years from his father, acclaimed sculptor Vincent Joseph Eudovic, said. “It’s opened another channel in the minds of people. Art is not the answer; it’s an opportunity to find your truth. It opens minds to greater possibilities. Public art is always a transformative tool to help shape societies.”

He also offered some words of advice to young people: “Don’t pander. Always push the envelope by going beyond the norms. You’ll never be able to please everyone. Art is not about pleasing people but about being true to your own sense of creativity.”