Heather Doram is an Antiguan artist, actor, activist and educator, who is the designer of
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a Sovereign state, sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and List of islands of Antigua and Barbuda, numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi), ...
's
national costume. In 2002 she was awarded the
Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (Antigua) in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
Biography
Born in
Antigua
Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
, to a seamstress mother and a father who worked in sugar industries, Doram's family lived on a number of sugar estates due to her father's work.
She attended
Antigua Girls' High School in
St John's and subsequently studied for an Associate Degree in Education from the
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...
.
She returned to teach at her former school and a few years later was awarded funding to study for a BFA in Textiles at the
Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in
Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
.
In 1994, Doram received a scholarship that enabled her to study for an MA degree at
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where her work was chosen to represent the university at the
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
.
After her graduation, SCAD also purchased the majority of her thesis portfolio for its permanent collection.
On her return to Antigua, she worked for the Ministry of Education, advising them on arts curricula, and in 2003 was appointed Director of Culture.
Her works include a mural at
V.C. Bird International Airport,
as well as collages and woven wall-hangings. She designed award-winning carnival costumes designed with her husband
Connie Doram.
In 2020 she called for revisions to be made to the
Antigua Carnival costume judging criteria, in order to include and acknowledge the significance of new styles of mas (masquerade costumes). She retired in 2006.
In addition to her work as an artist and educator, Doram also has a successful acting career, which began in the 1990s. She has appeared in film, television and stage roles that include: ''
The Vagina Monologues,'' ''
The Sweetest Mango,'' and a monologue by
Zahra Airall.
National costume
In 1992, a competition was held to design a national dress for Antigua & Barbuda, and it was won by Doram.
The costume she designed is based on what women who worked as market vendors or bakers might have worn in 1834.
The costume for women includes a dress made from a "
madras plaid of red, gold and green", which is then covered with a white pinafore, and headscarf.
The plaid was first designed in 1992 and formally adopted in 1994.
Men's costume includes a waistcoat in the same plaid, as well as a white shirt, black trousers and a straw hat.
A sample of the material is held at the
Scottish Register of Tartans.
Since its inception, the national dress has been reinterpreted by many designers, and in 2012 the first National Dress Day was held on 26 October.
Reception
Due to her focus on the heritage of Antigua and Barbuda in her work,
Paget Henry has described Doram as a "nationalist" artist.
Awards
*
Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (2002)
* Woman of Wadadli Award for Culinary Arts (2020)
References
External links
*
Flickr
Flickr ( ) is an image hosting service, image and Online video platform, video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was previously a co ...
Mrs Heather Doram(photograph)
*
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
"Untapped Potential: Mrs. Heather Doram: Antigua and Barbuda's Cultural Icon"(interview). 20 June 2021.
*
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
"Step to the Throne - Conversation with Heather Doram"(interview). 19 September 2021.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doram, Heather
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Antigua and Barbuda activists
Antigua and Barbuda artists
Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Antigua and Barbuda
Savannah College of Art and Design alumni
University of the West Indies alumni
Women educators
Women textile artists