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Jamaica’s Been Framed


Well known as a global powerhouse when it comes to music, the Caribbean island has another huge, untapped well of creative talent. Janelle Oswald meets Teresa Roberts, who is promoting the new wave of visual artists internationally


By Janelle Oswald I


n the 50 years since gaining independence Jamaica has become world-famous for its music, food and more recently its athletic prowess. But while it is lesser known for


its art, for such a small nation, it possesses an astonishingly large number of artists, as well as a supportive community of collectors. Te growing popularity of this creative


discipline owes much of its success to its links with tourism. Tis is due to Jamaica being the number-one holiday destination in the Caribbean, which has resulted in visitors becoming more familiar with the island’s indigenous artists. Te triumph of Jamaican art has persuaded


the government to move the responsibility for culture from the Ministry of Education & Youth to the Ministry of Tourism & Entertainment, which means the National Gallery of Jamaica is now receiving more financial support, not only from its new home ministry, but from the Institute of Jamaica and other private-sector companies. Te National Gallery is also making


Work by Kai Watson, Michael ‘Flyn’ Elliott and Phillip Tomas


efforts to attract international interest. To date, the Gallery has been successful in getting foreign institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum and the Yale Centre for Contemporary Art, interested in exhibiting Jamaican art. Such partnerships have subsequently caught the eye of numerous art collectors around the world dispelling the myth that respected art can only come from the West or Far East. One such collector is Jamaican-born


businesswoman and socialite Teresa Roberts, whose online gallery at www.artjamaica.


Some artists to watch out for


1. Kristina M. Rowe Kristina was born in Jamaica in 1986 and attended the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Her amazing artwork starts from £2000. Describing her artwork as therapeutic, Rowe says: “the paintings I do are oſten of what I feel, how I feel, what I see or want to recreate, or even translate through my artistic energy.”


2. Phillip Tomas Born in Kingston Jamaica in 1980 and a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and New York Academy of Art, Phillip Tomas’s art creations start from £5000 upwards. He has been awarded several prices over the years including the Albert Huie Prize and Aaron Matalon Award.


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org, and virtual gallery space, Black Circle, gives exposure to Jamaican artists who are underrepresented in Europe. London-based Roberts says: “I love to wake


up with beautiful things on the wall. Te wall is naked if there’s no art. Furniture is fine, but art really makes the home feel special.” Returning to her homeland regularly


over the years, Roberts was always amazed and proud to discover the quality and sophistication of the Jamaican visual arts scene, and she became convinced that she


3. Kai Watson Born into the famous Jamaican Watson family - an artistic dynasty that spans three generations – Kai Watson descriptive art pieces start from £3,500. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and Art Institute of Chicago.


4. Michael ‘Flyn’ Elliott Born in Manchester, Jamaica in 1971, Michael ‘Flyn’ Elliott’s artistic


canvases start from £3000. He attended the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in 1998.


5. Khary Darby Born in Jamaica, he lives and works in Stony Hill. Darby’s work starts from £3000. His work is renowned for its psychological intensity, darkness and a certain dreamlike quality.


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