A trip to Zaka Art Café
By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
If you’re a frequent visitor to St. Lucia you know that to leave the island without an original piece of sculpture from artist Zaka is unthinkable. Famous for his colorful wooden masks and totems, many made from recycled telephone poles, the artist has created and displayed his art in a gingerbread cottage within the shadow the Pitons for several years.
But if you haven’t been here for a while you might not know that the artist formerly known as Simon Gajadhar moved 18 months ago, swapping his Malgretoute home workshop for a new venture, Zaka Art Café, on the oceanfront main street in the neighboring town of Soufrière.
The colorful storefront’s walls are embellished with Zaka’s signature wooden souvenirs painted in every color of the rainbow, and ranging price from $20 to $900. But there’s more to his latest venture: Zaka and his wife now sell coffee they grow on the hillside property they purchased a couple of years ago, roasting and processing the Arabica berries in small quantities for sale by the bag and by the cup in the gallery/café.
Stop by to browse the art, to linger over a latte, or to check your email via the free and fast wi-fi. Either way, a visit to Zaka Art Café is time well spent.
