LEROY   CLARKE DATE OF BIRTH: November 7, 1938 PLACE OF BIRTH: Belmont, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad EDUCATION: ... CAREER:                                 Growing up in the Gonzales section of Belmont, Clarke was involved in the local theatre and utilised his artistic talents to draw, paint, sing and act. His first art exhibition was in 1962 when he exhibited at the national Independence Exhibition. In 1966, he held his first one-man exhibition, "A Labour of Love," in Trinidad. He participated in the 1966 biennial exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in Expo '67 in Montreal, Canada. In 1967, he left Trinidad for New York where his work was well received at a 1968 exhibition at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He was part of the 100 Years of American Art exhibition in Philadelphia, USA, and embarked on a series of one-man shows. He was the first artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem from 1969 through 1973, and has had numerous exhibitions throughout North and South America. In 1973, Clarke returned to Trinidad where his art blossomed in the 1970s when there was an international surge in Black awareness. Clarke was the first artist in Trinidad and Tobago to be conferred with the title Master Artist by the National Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago. A former teacher and lead singer of the group The Beamers, Clarke was an author of several books and was involved in the Trinidad Theatre Workshop as a set designer. His work focused on the African associations with Caribbean culture, religion, and society. Clarke's art exhibits included: 2002 - Reflections on Landscape: Syllables (101 Art Gallery, Port-of-Spain) AWARDS: .... - Honorary Doctorate, University of Trinidad and Tobago .... - National Living Treasure, Trinidad Hilton DIED: July 27, 2021, in Cascade, Trinidad, after an extended illness. Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit