kibbles8

Elma Felix


Sarasota, FL
About

I was seven years old when I walked into the Ti Kay. As my father unlatched the louvered shutters, glaring sunlight shone through them one by one, slowly awakening the mysterious house. Dust swirled in the air as I tried to scan the empty room. Slowly making my way to the other side, the old wooden floor boards creaked beneath my feet. My great-grandfather built the house with his bare hands, over 90 years ago. Besides a few aging boards and rusting galvanized sheathing; it is immaculate. A man, who couldn’t understand English, who had no architectural training, built a house which is still standing today.

Throughout the Caribbean, pieces of history - just like that house - are disappearing, with no documented proof of their existence. Some see them as a sign of our colonial past; they see poverty, dependence and struggle. Others see strength, poise and grace; reminders of times past. Whatever the impression, Ti Kay Nou presents the reality of these historic dwellings.

Books by Elma Felix