Places to find local artists and craftsmen

Tamarin and Black River are great talent hubs: the west coast of Mauritius, with its distinctive background, is a favourite spot for artists. Somewhere between sea and mountains, savannah landscapes and rolling waves, the place where inspiration, sharing and talent flourish. Discover the local artists and craftsmen and learn about the cultural events and venues in the region.

Focus on two talented photographers

– Keïvan Cadinouche, the intemporality in black and white

The Tamarind photographer, fond of his country and Indian Ocean islands, portrays people and landscapes in a deep and delicate way. He is one of the very few photographers to use only argentic photography in Mauritius and uses a unique printing process: his prints are developed in argentic, scanned and then printed in digital to give a slightly grainy texture to the photo. Deeply influenced by the depth of a human gaze, the intensity of a particular minute, he shows the identity, the culture and the soul of the people of the islands, with a touch of poetry and nostalgia. Several times exhibited and awarded internationally, he proudly follows in the footsteps of Bresson and Salgado.  

His poster format photographs are printed in Mauritius and available in bookshops (Presse Book in Ruisseau Creole, opposite Marguery Villas) as well as in some other stores. He also ships abroad.

– Gada Schaub

Gada Schaub is a Swiss native who has been living in Tamarin for many years. She graduated from Sciences Po Paris and started her career as a journalist and columnist in Mauritius and on the web. As a committed citizen, with a passion for other cultures and civilisation, and with a deep interest in human diversity, her view of her host country is rich in both colour and charm.

She has recently published “Mauritius Street Art”, a great take home souvenir, a collection of photographs of Mauritian street art artists. She regularly participates in group exhibitions and has published another successful album.

Discover Gada’s colourful world.

Swinging with local musicians

Tamarin is home to one of the best local jazzmen, Philippe Thomas, a Mauritian jazz trumpeter who graduated from the Berklee School of Music, Boston. He performs every Thursday night over beer and tapas at Crazy Jazzy Time at Crazy Fish, a bar facing Tamarin Bay. Other local musicians and singers are also on show on Fridays.

Some bars and restaurants also provide entertainment, such as Big Willy’s at the entrance of the village, La Bonne Chute, Vanilla Café and Nomad. (Ask your concierge for the programme)

One of the most famous Mauritian musicians, Eric Triton, a bluesman who plays internationally, used to hang out in Tamarin and the bay, where he could be heard doing an impromptu singing tour on the beach at sunset. His Creole blues, his poetry and his commitment to brotherhood and peace can all be discovered in his albums and make excellent cultural gifts to bring back in your luggage. Our favourite: “Blues dan mwa»

Galleries and artistic projects: 

– Tamaris Gallery

This beautiful gallery located in front of your Marguery Villas residence, displays a wide range of design and contemporary paintings. It hosts both Mauritian and international artists. The gallery also offers Art Therapy sessions, art and recycling tutorials, painting workshops for children.

– The Art School of Tamarin Point

For more than 15 years, the Tamarin painter Jean-Yves l’Onflé has been giving free painting lessons to children and teenagers. These young artists are on display in the village of Tamarin.

– The Tamarin Arts Centre

The Tamarin Arts Centre is a hub of artistic expression and meeting places located within the Nomad compound (link Brunch). It acts as a creative space for local artists, art groups and members of the local community. It also hosts art events, art classes and lectures.

– Handicrafts

Local designers are talented and there are many stalls where they can display their products.

The regular locations:

– Ruisseau-Créole

Just cross the alleyway leading to your residence to discover the shops offering a variety of handicrafts: jewellery, clothes, decorations…

– Vanilla Connect

Just outside Black River, the craft village welcomes several stalls selling various handicrafts (LINK brunch).

Temporary exhibitions :

– La Place Cap Tamarin and Tamarin Cœur de Ville

At the entrance to the village, the Place and the shopping centre regularly organise exhibitions and sales of local crafts: clothing, jewellery, food, decoration, lamps, mosaics, paintings, etc. The Super U shopping centre also hosts temporary exhibitors.

A great initiative to highlight is the Pop-Up shop, a temporary shop that regularly gives local craftsmen the opportunity to display their know-how. Fnd out about the artisans’ catalogue and when they come to Tamarin.

Other cultural products from local artists are available in the local bookstores of Tamarin’s two supermarkets: books, comics, CDs and DVDs…. The bookshop Presse Book in Ruisseau-Créole offers a wide range of literary works and has a good selection of publications. Tamarin offers a wide range of artists and craftsmen from the west coast of Mauritius to make you discover and enjoy their art.