Art scene
Art scene
Meet Curaçao’s Chichi® by Susan Campbell A new colorful cast of characters has been cropping up all over Curaçao lately. You might have seen them as giant sculptures, or as souvenirs in craft shops, but one thing is certain, they are very hard to miss! They are called Chichis®, and they are a true island original.
You might have noticed buxom and ample-bottomed figurines decorated in eye-popping colors all over this island these days. That’s no surprise, because Chichis have recently taken Curaçao by storm and show no signs of slowing down. These unique artworks are the brainchild of Serena Janet Israel, a professional mold maker, designer, restaurateur, and artist of German origin who settled here after sailing around the world. She enlightens us about what inspired her to create these perky plaster sculptures. Serena says, “Chichi means big sister in the local language of Papiamentu. The name also represents a native Caribbean woman who is smart, strong, caring, cheerful, and a welcoming soul. I wanted to create a figurine that embodied those qualities to embrace the warm welcome
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Photo courtesy of Serena’s Art Factory
that I received on this island. But just like people, I wanted them to have their own personalities. So I hired and trained local artists to paint them from their own inspirations. We began small, with a few local women, and now we have over 50 female painters giving many women here an extra income and also empowering them with their own creativity!” Beyond striving to share her entrepreneurial spirit with others, Serena is a strong believer in helping the community through her art. She provides support to important local causes by creating and auctioning objects of art and custom-made souvenirs to help fund them. She also encourages her artists to become entrepreneurs and fundraisers themselves. The Chichi cottage industry has provided many with interesting work they can do from home. !
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