Shazam
Mohammed was born on 3rd July 1960 in the town of Sangre Grande. His
talent for drawing and painting was first discovered by his primary school
teacher. In his teens, he began to develop his skill, experimenting with a number
of mediums, but found oil to his liking and which remains his choice up to
today. In his youth he painted comic book heroes, but from early on his desire
and destiny lay in being a land and seascape specialist.
After graduating from North Eastern College, Shazam began painting scenes inspired by movies, especially science fiction and horror. Simultaneously, he pursed his A-level in Art together with some Graphic Art courses. At his parents business in his hometown of Sangre Grande, many of his comic heroes were displayed along with land and seascape paintings.
Shazam
went on to do sign making. In 1983, he held his first Art Exhibition at the
Sangre Grande Civic Centre with past pupils of North Eastern College. When he
was 25 he then offered a reliable printing service to the people of Sangre
Grande and continued painting as a hobby. However, around age 30, he felt an
urge to go seriously at his canvases as ideas, shapes and colours kept
presenting themselves to him demanding their birth. In 1992, his work began to
be acquired by collectors.
In
1993, he held his second art exhibition at the National Commercial Bank of
Sangre Grande. As the buyers came, Shazam gave up some of his business ventures
to pursue his career as an Artist. Born out of this decision was “Pollution –
The Untold Story”, an expressionist painting depicting the state of the
environment and man’s love and abuses of colours. He then held his fourth
exhibition at the Rooftop Restaurant, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex,
Mount Hope and in 1996 held his sixth exhibition at the First Citizens Bank in
Sangre Grande. His work is now part of a growing international collection.
Although
known for his ability to paint water and the coastal areas of our country with
a photo-realistic approach, what is unique about Shazam is his ability to paint
almost all subjects of interest, some of which can be considered grandiose.
Sometimes, it seems the very ordinary is not enough for him.
In
1997, Shazam’s work was chosen among several artists of Trinidad and Tobago for
display at the Commonwealth Institute in London to commemorate it’s 35th
anniversary celebrations. His paintings received good comments and two of them
are featured in “Trinidad and Tobago - Through the Eye of the Artist”, a comprehensive 196 page book, published for
the occasion . In 1998, Shazam’s family lineage was traced from India to the
present time. He was honoured for his work and the fame that he brought to his
family name from amongst forty chosen, his name being one of the most renowned
after becoming one of the nations most featured artists with a record 21 times
newspaper appearances. In addition, he has made several TV appearances and
numerous theses and school based assessment projects have been done on him. In
1997, the Businessmen Association of Sangre Grande felt that the best gift to
give to Wendy Fitzwilliam (Miss Universe 1997) was a painting from Shazam.
One of
the highlights of his career will be his painting “The Big Slam Theory / A
Tribute to West Indies Cricket” which received good media coverage in 2000, a
72 year dedication to the achievement of West Indies cricket. His work is now
steadily reaching out to many prominent businesses throughout the country.
18th
August 2001