I am born and raised in Jamaica deeply rooted to this land and my people. Our country is raw, beautiful, untamable, and we Jamaicans are its heart and soul. As a small but vibrantly powerful island, Jamaica has so much it brings to the world. Our culture, music and food. Our musicians, athletes, designers, artists, writers and poets. Our land: rich, bountiful and diverse. So […]
The Life and Work of Artist Gene Pearson
From the moment you drive up to the studio of ceramic artist and sculptor Gene Pearson, you are greeted by one of his many works of art: a gigantic steel gate in the shape of his iconic Nubian mask. It’s this mask, the head, that the artist has become known for internationally. Pearson, a 1965 graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and […]
Check Out This Artist’s Studio in Jamaica
For many people, leaving home and venturing off to new lands is the impetus for living a life of passion. For David Pinto, a Jamaican ceramic artist, it was the other way around. Pinto, who was born in Jamaica, left home for his studies both in England and the U.S. at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After completing his training and working […]
“Dream World” Jamaica: Vintage Ads from the 1960s
“It’s real life, even though it’s a dream world. That’s Jamaica,” says a voice over an advertorial video produced by the Jamaican Tourism Board in the early 1960s. The island gained independence in 1962, and for the first time in centuries, was able to decide on its own how to run its “dream world” in real life. As the newly independent country worked to establish […]
Meet the Artist Who says He is The Visual Bob Marley
Jamaican artist David Marchand in his studio, with his painting “The Dread and the Tourist.” Ask Jamaican artist David Marchand when he had his big break and he’ll tell you that at the age of 72, he’s still waiting for his moment.To the Jamaican art community, however, he’s one of the most influential figures in the burgeoning movement. He’s also one of its most colorful—some […]
How One Jamaican Art Gallery Made Being an Artist Cool
In Jamaica today, art is literally everywhere—from roadside murals and dancehall signs to an abandoned warehouse-turned-art-exhibit.. But only in the last few decades have artists found local support for their talents. In the 1950s, Edna Manley founded the island’s first art school (which would later become the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts). And in the 1970s, the National Gallery of Art opened […]
The Incredible Story Behind Jamaica’s Most Famous Poster
You may not know her by name, but you’ll recognize Sintra Bronte. After starring in the Jamaican Tourism Board’s 1972 promotional campaigns, she quickly became a Jamaican icon, as synonymous with the island as Bob Marley’s “One Love.” There’s just one issue: Bronte, seen emerging from the water in a clinging red tee-shirt with “Jamaica” printed in black in all-caps lettering, isn’t Jamaican. She’s Trinidadian. […]
This Art-Covered Street Should Be Your First Stop in Jamaica
When Paint Jamaica founder Marianna Farag, a native of France, first visited Fleet Street in Kingston in 2014, she found herself at a gigantic abandoned warehouse bordering the fence of a local schoolyard. The neighborhood, Parade Gardens, is known to some as an impoverished inner city, and to others it is hardly known at all. Marianna had booked a trip to Jamaica for a vacation […]
Transforming Kingston Through Art
Homes and buildings all over Kingston are brightly painted and adorned with pictures of Jamaican icons and smiling children. These murals, often political messages of unity and peace, have turned Kingston into one big, beautiful art project. Outpostings took to the streets to capture the powerful art on the homes, stores, walls and benches of Kingston. Jamnesia, a surfing community, is covered with paintings of […]
The Best Party in Kingston
What began as a small, informal party in the hills of St. Andrew has now grown into one of the most important dub parties on the island. Every Sunday, hundreds make their way up the hill into what seems to be someone’s home—but what’s actually the best party in town. Behind the turntables is Gabre Selassie, an influential figure in the preservation and distribution of […]
The Queen Of Jamaican Dancehall Signs
Driving around Jamaica you’ll begin to notice cardboard signs along the roads advertising upcoming concerts. They are colorful, often hand-painted and include quips like “yardie” or “foreigner link up.” These signs have personality: They aren’t just telling you about the latest party, or “bashment,” as Jamaicans like to say. They are expressing the rich cultural heritage of the Jamaican people. For decades, these dancehall signs […]