Morris with copper breastplate (1955) Morris assisting Peter Minshall (1982)

KENWYN  MORRIS DATE OF BIRTH: 1924 PLACE OF BIRTH: Port-of-Spain, Trinidad EDUCATION: ... CAREER:                                 Born to a mas-making family, Morris learned to work with wire and beads from his parents at an early age and later became an expert metalworker who fabricated costume pieces over four decades for Band-of-the-Year winners such as Bobby Ammon, George Bailey, Edmond Hart, Stephen Lee Heung, Peter Minshall, and Harold Saldenah. In addition to crafting metal costume pieces for other bands, Morris led his own band from Belmont, Port-of-Spain for 14 years. Demand for his services peaked in the 1950s when copper was cheap and was used extensively by many bands in their historical presentations. By the mid-1960s, plastic and fiberglass began to replace copper and demand for Morris's services declined. He returned to the mas scene for a few years in the 1980s to produce various characters for Peter Minshall's band. Outside Carnival, Morris was recognized as one of the premier sculptors in the country and was commissioned for many works, the most visible of which was the 16-foot long mural at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel, in which he teamed up with Carlisle Chang. AWARD: 1969 - Trinidad and Tobago Humming Bird Medal Bronze (for Fine Arts) DIED: 1992, in Trinidad Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit