Dunstan St. Omer

Dunstan Gerbert Raphael St. Omer KCMG (24 October 1927 – 5 May 2015) was a Saint Lucian painter, muralist and educator. He designed the national flag of Saint Lucia.[1]

Dunstan St. Omer
Born
Dunstan Gerbert Raphael St. Omer

(1927-10-23)23 October 1927
Castries, Saint Lucia
Died5 May 2015(2015-05-05) (aged 87)
Union, Castries, Saint Lucia
NationalitySaint Lucian
OccupationPainter and muralist
Notable work
Flag of Saint Lucia
Spouse(s)Cynthia St. Croix
Children9

Early life

Dunstan St. Omer was born in Castries on 24 October 1927. He attended St. Aloysius R.C. Boys School and Saint Mary's College.[2]

Career

St. Omer left Saint Lucia for Curaçao where he was influenced by the Greek artist Pandelis. He returned to Saint Lucia in 1949 and held various teaching jobs.[1][3]

St. Omer was the editor of The Voice newspaper from 1959–1962.[3]

St. Omer painted several murals in churches around Saint Lucia including the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. His murals feature black divinity portraying Christ and the Holy Family as black.[3][4]

In 1967, St. Omer designed the flag of Saint Lucia, winning a national contest for the best flag design marking Saint Lucia's statehood.[5]

He taught art from 1971 until his retirement in 2002. He also worked as an art specialist in the Ministry of Education.[1][5]

Honours

In 2004, St. Omer received the Papal Medal from the Catholic Church and the Saint Lucia Cross from the government of Saint Lucia for his church murals.[1][2][3][5] In 2007, the National Cultural Centre declared him a National Cultural Hero.[1][3] He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2010 for service to Art.[6]

Personal life

Dunstan St. Omer was married to Cynthia St. Croix. They had nine children.[3]

References
  1. "SIR DUNSTAN ST OMER PASSES". The Voice. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  2. "UWI's Tribute To Sir Dunstan St. Omer". The Voice. May 18, 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  3. "Renowned artist Sir Dunstan St. Omer dies". Caricom Today. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  4. Popovic, Caroline (Spring 1995). "Hail Mary: the Art of Dunstan St. Omer". Caribbean Beat. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  5. Bishop, Stan (21 February 2015). "Sir Dunstan St. Omer, Designer of the National Flag, Reflects". The Voice. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  6. "New Year honours list: Commonwealth". The Guardian. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
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