Daniel Lewis, also known as Priest868 is a visual artist and muralist specialised in portraiture. His style is to create the initial drawing with a ballpoint pen, then overlay it with mixed media such as acrylic paint, coloured pencils, indian ink and gouache. His work can be considered to be realistic with a strong influence from Graffiti writing and Pop Art. His subjects are usually Caribbean regional cultural and political icons as Priest’s art reflects his interest in history, economics and social change. His goal is to express himself with authenticity and fearlessness.

Priest has been active in the Visual Arts Industry from 2019 to present, and is a member of the Lewis Art Collections (LAC), the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ASTT) as well as the Trinbago Art Circle (TAC). He has had his work shown at various art exhibitions regionally and has been involved in social work, beautifying Primary Schools with murals across Trinidad and Tobago. He is also involved in life drawing sessions at various art galleries, is a sip and paint host, and does commissioned portraits.

“I use a ballpoint pen because mistakes cannot be erased. In life, each bad decision we make holds a lesson. If we can see it and learn from it, that bad decision can work in our favour. That is how I approach my work; to me there are no mistakes!” – Priest868

MUSIC CAREER

Priest has been a musician for the past 20 years, and has been a keyboardist for the likes of Oscar B, Invasion 2.0, Mayaro the Band, Curtis Jordan and many more. He has worked as a tracking engineer at JSP Studios owned and operated by Kwame Jones, son of the late great Brother Resistance, and has worked on many tracks in the calypso industry of Trinidad and Tobago. He is the co-producer of singer/songwriter Shv’el’s first EP entitled “This Thing Called Life” alongside veteran producer Angelo ‘Qban’ Pantin. He has been a musician at his home church for many years, and is presently the band leader of The Clergy. He is also a Music Educator, specialised in teaching beginners, laying a strong foundation in music, helping them to understand the fundamentals in a way that is easily comprehensible. He does this through PRIEST868 Music School, which is part of PRIEST868 Entertainment, a registered business which he owns and operates.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Priest is a qualified Event Manager, with a Professional Certificate in Event Management from George Washington University. His vision is to use his skills and training in Event Management to combine various artistic expressions into one product. This approach has given his events a unique and creative platform to address social ills and to promote a healthy family life, which he believes is the solution to all the problems plaguing our society. In his opinion, preserving the family unit will eventually lead to Caribbean unity.