Dunstan St. Omer
Saint Lucian painter (1927-2015)
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Sir Dunstan Gerbert Raphael St. Omer KCMG MBE (24 October 1927 – 5 May 2015) was a Saint Lucian painter, muralist and educator. He designed the national flag of Saint Lucia.[1]
23 October 1927
Sir Dunstan St. Omer | |
|---|---|
St. Omer in 2010 | |
| Born | Dunstan Gerbert Raphael St. Omer 23 October 1927 Castries, Saint Lucia |
| Died | 5 May 2015 (aged 87) Union, Castries, Saint Lucia |
| Occupations | Painter and muralist |
| Notable work | Flag of Saint Lucia |
| Spouse | Cynthia St. Croix |
| Children | 9 |
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]