Xavier was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 in recognition of his contributions to the art of the Commonwealth. Xavier's work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, among others.

In 2016 he was honored with a solo exhibition at Phillips in New York. On the occasion of the exhibition, Edward Dolman, the CEO of Phillips, called Xavier “one of the greatest artists ever to emerge from the Caribbean…a dynamic voice in the dialogue between globalization and localism.”

In 2024, a collection of 1000 of his pieces was showcased at the Orange Grove Plaza, a most expansive exhibition of his work to date. This was a key feature of the 2024 Arts component of that year’s Jazz and Arts Festival.

The 2025 New Year Honours are appointments by King Charles III among the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries.