President Irfan Ali gets portrait from famous Guyanese artist Compton Babb Jr

The President of Guyana received a self-portrait from a Guyanese artist on Tuesday. Dr Irfan Ali shared the images of the portrait on his social media accounts. Guyanese artist Compton Babb Jr is famous for his artistic work; he stated that the piece was the first from his 'Black and Gold' collection and is a representation of his optimism of President Ali's tenure in office. The 25X30 inch painting took approximately two months to complete. "The first portrait within my black and gold collection is that of our current president, The Honorable Dr Irfaan Ali…It is my wish that his presidency leads our rising nation into a period of greatness." Compton Babb Jr

Babb Jr said that the collection is new and different from the generically coloured paintings.

"As Guyana celebrates 55 years of Independence, I am proud to debut my black and gold portrait collection. This new idea reflects the riches and future potential of our nation," said Babb Jr.

He noted that there is significance in each stroke and that the two colours are emblematic.

The artist Compton Babb Jr stated the gold colour signifies Guyana's rich mineral wealth - the bauxite, the diamond, the manganese and of course, the gold.

"Our nation is truly El Dorado. Yet, the gold speaks to the wealth of knowledge and the pursuit of greatness and excellence that is observed in Guyanese at home and in the diaspora. The colour black underscores the rich oil reserves but also emphasises the strength, resilience and resolve of the Guyanese people." stated the artist.