Reginald Samuel: Designer of the Antigua and Barbuda Flag
The national flag’s distinctive rising sun and V-shaped composition came from Antiguan artist Reginald Samuel’s winning 1966 design.
Who designed the Antigua and Barbuda flag?
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda credits Reginald Samuel with designing the national flag in 1966. Samuel was an Antiguan artist and sculptor whose design was chosen as the country prepared for associated-state status.
How was the design chosen?
The flag emerged from a national design competition. Samuel’s proposal stood out because it combined simple geometry with multiple layers of national symbolism: a rising sun, the V shape, strong red side panels, and black, blue and white horizontal fields.
What made Samuel’s design distinctive?
The composition was unlike the colonial ensign tradition used across much of the Caribbean. Its visual language was modern and local: the sun represented a new era, the V meant victory, black referenced African heritage and soil, and the remaining colors added hope and the sun-sea-sand identity.
What is his legacy?
Samuel’s design was adopted on February 27, 1967 and then retained when Antigua and Barbuda became independent in 1981. That long continuity makes his work one of the most recognizable national designs in the eastern Caribbean.
