George Simon (artist and archaeologist)

George Simon is a Lokono Arawak artist and archaeologist from Guyana. He is the founder and mentor of the Lokono Artists Group, a group of Lokono artists from Guyana, based primarily in Simons hometown of St. Cuthberts Mission. Simon is widely regarded as one of the leading Guyanese artists of his generation, and his paintings are notable for their explorations of Amerindian culture and the Guyanese environment. He has also been recognized for his achievements as an educator, his efforts to develop opportunities for Amerindian artists in Guyana, and for his work as an archaeologist.

George Simon was born onApril 1947 to Olive and Mark Simon in St. Cuthberts Mission on the Mahaicony River in British Guiana . His father was a woodcutter, and his mother was a housewife. Simon attended school at St Cuthberts Mission up until the age of 12. Discussing his early years in an interview from 19945, Simon recalled the way in which the Mission school stifled expressions of Amerindian culture Anyone found speaking Arawak in class was flogged In general, Amerindian culture was discouraged and we were made to feel inferior.

Source: Wikipedia