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EDWIN  OU  HINGWAN DATE OF BIRTH: 1932 PLACE OF BIRTH: Mayaro, Trinidad EDUCATION: Queen's Royal College CAREER:                                 Upon completion of high school, Hingwan began his working career in an engineering job in the oil fields of southern Trinidad. However, his career in the oil fields was shortlived when he suffered a crippling polio-like disease in 1951 and was confined to a wheelchair. In his state of limited mobility, he turned to painting primarily in watercolors. With the help of his mother who set up his easel and strapped his brush to the back of his hand, Hingwan began painting scenes from his hometown: sea; sand; coconut palms; lagoons; old houses; boats; sunrise; and fishermen casting their nets. His first exhibition in 1959 was sponsored by the Trinidad Art Society. In the 1960s, his popularity grew so fast that he could not keep up with the demand for his work and, by the early-1970s, he was producing almost 300 paintings a year. However, by the mid-1970s, his health deteriorated and he was unable to continue painting. AWARD: 1976 - Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal Silver (for Painting - Posthumously) DIED: February 17, 1976, in Mayaro, Trinidad, from a polio-like disease Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit