Artwork, when chosen with care, is absolutely the finest souvenir you can bring back from any journey away from home. There are 4 reasons we always purchase art when we travel:
1. Art Enhances Home Décor
The right pieces displayed in the right places and in the right way can make your home look fabulous. We don’t just buy stuff randomly, we always have a place in mind so we know where we will display it when we get home.
We also take great care to ensure that we don’t overcrowd our home with too much artwork. While we are not minimalists, we do like simple, clean, uncluttered lines and spaces.
2. Art Evokes Memories
How often do Nick and I look at a piece in our home and reflect momentarily on a memory it conjures? I would say almost every day, and some days it happens more than once. Other souvenirs simply don’t have this power, as they are hidden away or even long ago disposed of or thrown away.
3. Art is Light and Easy to Transport
Remember we are mainly talking about paintings and other 2-dimensional forms here. They can be rolled up in a tube and weigh virtually nothing. Depending on the size, they can be stowed away in a suitcase or carried as hand baggage. Sometimes, you can easily and cheaply have your artwork shipped home if you don’t want to carry it.
4. Art is Affordable
Ok, to be more accurate, artwork can be affordable. In most South American, African, and Asian countries you can pick-up fabulous original art at bargain prices. Sadly, this is not often the case in Europe and North America.
To see how we use the art we’ve picked up from our travels, let’s take a quick look at some of our favourite pieces that we have on display in our home, and let’s do it by country.
Table of Contents
Cuba
My Cuban paintings date from just before Nick and I met, although it was Nick who took them from the tube and got them framed. He selected the framing material and, between you and me, I was surprised how tastefully he did it. Perhaps my training is working!
We have three Cuban paintings on display, all of which we love. In our main living room, there is this image of a pair of musicians, which I feel really captures the vibe and essence of Cuba. It also fits well with the décor of the rest of the room.
Tucked into an alcove in our TV room is another painting by the same Cuban artist. It’s another musician, in this case a double bass player. While it sometimes seems a shame that this painting is tucked away, it really is one of those that works better when you are viewing it from close by, so it does actually work in this way.
I also have a cute little painting by Alex, an artist in Havana who took a bit of a shine to me. I think that it’s an olive, but Nick says that it’s an apple. What do you think?
Tanzania
With a whopping 12 paintings on display, Tanzania is the most represented country in our home. I suppose it’s not a big surprise, as Nick’s been there three times and I’ve been there twice. The value is amazing too! Of the 12, we have six that are particular favourites.
There are four pieces on display by the same artist, Yonas. What we like about his work is that it’s all different. Many painters who focus on tourists churn out stuff that looks very similar, but not Yonas. Two of the Yonas’ paintings are on our upper floor landing, while the other two have pride of place in our dining room.
I put up this picture in our kitchen, despite Nick’s protests, and it has become a great talking point. Is it evening or early morning? What is the child pointing at? Is the mother cycling to or from the market? Is it the mother or the father riding the bicycle? What do you think?
We get to see this amazing painting of hundreds of intertwined birds every time we step out of the shower. It was the most expensive we bought in Tanzania, despite my determined efforts to get the price down. I bought from the artist himself who wouldn’t budge because of the huge amount of effort and time he put into creating it. It’s a personal favourite and I now consider it a bargain.
Bali
We picked-up quite an eclectic mix of artwork in Bali. One is a multicoloured image of Che Guevara, that’s hung in our TV room, which people usually assume is another I bought in Cuba. It certainly has pizzazz!
We both adore this image of a woman that is displayed above our lower staircase. It’s another that can stir debate about the contents and message. Although, I’m pretty sure that Nick’s assertion that she is sitting on a rugby ball isn’t accurate. The situation is perfect as, due to the unusual layout of our home, it can be viewed from different angles from the dining room, kitchen and living room.
Also from Bali is this huge and colourful painting of a stag that hangs above the bed in our spare bedroom. When guests come to stay, we jokingly tell them that they will be sleeping in the “Highland Suite.”
Ghana
We have some great artwork from Ghana, most of which we picked up from the Jamestown Craft Market in Accra. This picture of a woman pounding yam gives the nook in our bedroom a wonderful lift.
Also on our upper floor is a colourful abstract showing three figures and a gritty urban scene, that Nick loves and I think it is certainly unusual!
Dominican Republic
Nick and I spent a few fabulous days in the Ciudad Colonial, the historic part of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. It’s the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the Americas.
Along one of the streets were dozens of artists selling paintings who you could watch while they work. Many times, we stood for lengthy periods utterly spellbound. Who said watching paint dry is dull?
We bought far too many from Dom Rep and ended up giving away much of it. However, we have kept two large and quite different paintings, which are on display in our TV room. One shows a collection of musical instruments while the other is a romantic impressionist piece that I like to think shows Nick and me under the umbrella.
Senegal
All of the pieces we picked-up in Dakar, Senegal are, in part at least, collages with textured or cloth elements. We have two from an artist called Pathé, which I think are beautiful.
Take a look at the above item that hangs in our dining room. Do you think it’s a single, slightly strangely shaped woman, an expectant mother or is it that there are two people under the skirt, one sitting on the other’s shoulders?
The other Pathé work is upstairs, and the centre square, which shows a dark figure, is made from leather.
In our spare room is this painting of three figures in traditional clothes, with the bodies made from scraps of colourful cloth. It’s another great collage.
Haiti
Nick made at least six business trips to Haiti, our neighbour to the north, and twice brought back paintings. This one of fishing boats hangs above De Marley’s (our overachiever nephew if you’re new to our blog) bed and seems to work well.
Nick loves this unusual landscape and as I’m not so sure, I think his office is the perfect place for it. Apparently, it’s often a topic of discussion during some of his many Zoom meetings.
Ecuador
As we travelled extremely lightly when we visited Ecuador, we couldn’t pick up much. We did get this pair of collages which now hang above the desk that I use to work from home.
England
Nick is originally from England, so we have made a couple of trips there over the years. As far as I can tell the main reason was to drag this tropical girl to freezing cold winter soccer games at the City Ground, home of his other true love: Nottingham Forest Football Club.
There are a couple of small pieces from England in Nick’s office and in the guest bathroom we have a pair of hand-coloured prints of women walking in the Shambles in the oldest part of the ancient city of York. I just love how they pop!
Newfoundland
Nick lived in Newfoundland, Canada for a total of nine years and all he brought to Jamaica are some folk-rock CDs from the likes of Shanneyganock, Rawlins Cross and Great Big Sea, and this limited edition print signed by the artist, Terence Crawford. It’s another you can find in De Marley’s room and is an almost photo like image of the Curiosity Shop, an iconic antique and bric-a-brac store in the city of St John’s that closed its doors in 2015.
Honduras
The artwork from the last two countries, which both happen to be in Central America are on display at our other home in St Mary, a rural parish of Jamaica.
Honduras is another country that Nick went to several times for work, without taking me. To be honest, the best thing he brought back from Honduras was a beautiful, hand-made multi-coloured leather bag. It was another occasion that he displayed a level of flair and taste that surprised me.
He also purchased a pair of oil paintings directly from the artist that were so fresh that he couldn’t roll them up for a day, as the paint wasn’t yet dry. They are now framed and hang either side of my mother’s bed.
Panama
We renovated and decorated my mother’s bedroom so that it was ready when she returned to live in Jamaica. As well as the paintings from Honduras, there are ones from Tanzania, Dominican Republic, and a couple from our trip with Nick’s parents to Panama. These include this colourful picture, which is the perfect shape and size to add vigour to the dining room in St. Mary.
As you can see, artwork that we collected during our travels plays an important role in our home. I can pass a piece several times and then without warning I feel myself compelled to stop and enjoy a special moment with it.
Sometimes I see something new or have a new interpretation, and every time my soul is warmed by wonderful memories. This is why, almost all of the souvenirs we buy when we visit a foreign country are pieces of art, usually paintings.
Our only problem is we have run out of spare wall space so any new pieces can only go up if we remove another, which won’t be easy! And, of course, we do have an insignificant collection of paintings that we’ve not yet framed.
Author
Monique Abbott
Hi, I ’m Monique, founder and editor-in-chief of Yes2Yolo, travel addict, lover of home makeover projects among many other passions, including creative and inspirational writing to embolden us to live our best lives. At my core, I am a creative artistic being and I believe that creativity knows no end.
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I’ve explored over 60 countries with my husband Nick. Together we’ve partnered on some truly exciting projects such as creating and running a successful Airbnb business, chairing condo boards, purchasing fixer-uppers and renovating them from scratch on our own while balancing all of this with full-time jobs and family.
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While my personal passions are travel and home décor, I am, by profession, a lawyer with over 17 years experience.
I love your selections Monique! They are absolutely gorgeous, tastefully placed and accented.Next when you go remember me!LOL..
Thank you so much Michelle. I certainly will. Cheers!