National Monument Sculptor Says has done Exactly as Intended: Triggered Discussion on Art

Jallim Eudovic’s successful career as a sculptor has taken him to several countries far away from home where his work is highly acclaimed. But minutes into a conversation, he will tell you his father and his art remain his life’s biggest influences. During a recent sit-down with the STAR, he said: “I was born in an art studio, wanting to become an artist. My father Vincent Joseph Eudovic, who’s one of the most prominent sculptors in the Caribbean, trained my siblings and me but thankfully without kid gloves. We were trained as proper artists.”

Eudovic, who has held exhibitions in Paris, Ottawa, Africa, China, Martinique and England, and was commissioned by the Chinese government to create a bronze sculpture for the Changchun International Sculpture Park, was not always sure about the career path he would walk. “I vacillated between wanting to become an architect, a painter or a sculptor but sculpting, for me, was always more compelling,” he recalled. “With a painting it’s typically ‘Do not touch!’ But a sculpture says. ‘Touch me, walk around me, go underneath me.’ So I like that space because that’s the space we exist in.”

The Saint Lucia National Monument sculpture was unveiled on October 3. But Eudovic says he conceptualized the bronze work some eight years ago as part of his ‘Koudmen’ collection. In the sculptor’s telling it is “the most powerful representation of what I was looking for regarding my culture”. 

He adds: “At the time the world was going through an economic crisis and I wanted to send a dual message. The first is that koudmen is about building of lives and home; it’s an act of love. And second, it was to say that our problems were not only economic but also spiritual.” The government approached the sculptor last year about using the bronze work as a National Monument. “I had a very short time in which to execute the piece. It’s been a wild journey.” 

The monument has generated widespread discussion, to Eudovic’s delight. “So far I have loved the response. That was my intention: to spark a national debate around art. When last have you heard that? When last have you heard people being so triggered by anything creative? So I know good will come out of that because there’s a discussion that had to be had. I absolutely invite the criticism. It means you’re thinking constructively about something and you’re looking for answers. And that’s good. From that comes knowledge, comes the opportunity to learn.”  

One aspect of the piece seems to be missing and has confounded the viewing public. “I don’t want the focus to be the boat,” Eudovic explained. “If you put a boat, it becomes about the boat. It’s not about the boat. It’s about us becoming the vessel. We’re not waiting on any boat. We will make the boat.”

Eudovic added that despite the public’s divided opinions over his piece, he’s received positive reviews from both sides of the political aisle. He chuckled as he recalled one particular moment: “Yesterday I was in Dennery and somebody shouted: ‘Jallim! I love your sculpture in town mais mah Flambeaux!’ So to me that’s the ultimate statement that the sculpture has crossed political boundaries.”

“You’re allowed to hate my work,” he continued. “Nothing wrong with that. But know my wife has been my harshest critic. So when people think they’re giving it to me, they’re not giving it to me yet.” Eudovic described his family as his heart, and that everything he does is for them. “Family is a microcosm of the country itself. I believe that if you want to see a better country, you have to see a better family. My wife has been my inspiration, my backbone, my best friend.”

Eudovic revealed that his wife was pregnant when he was creating the National Monument; “So I’ve dedicated the sculpture to my son, Lionel.”