Once you see a Jason Kennedy painting, you never forget it.
His style is unmistakable, as are the subjects he chooses to portray. Strong, weathered quintessentially Caribbean faces jump off the canvas, as well as scenes focussed on Cayman life, such as fishing and harvesting coconuts. Big personalities such as these need to be celebrated on a large scale, and so Kennedy’s works tend to dominate any walls upon which they hang.
Art lovers will get the chance to appreciate this talent firsthand when Kennedy launches his new solo exhibition, ‘SALT’, at the Mercedes-Benz Cayman showroom, at 131 Industrial Way, on Friday, 19 Nov. from 5-9pm. Beyond giving fans the opportunity to purchase his work, the artist is also using the event as a fundraising opportunity for three local charities.
Ten percent of any art sales will be donated to Feed Our Future and the MS Foundation of the Cayman Islands. In addition, raffle tickets are now on sale at $25 apiece with all proceeds going to Meals on Wheels. The winning ticket will be drawn on 15 Dec., with one lucky person driving off in Kennedy’s personal Mercedes 2006 CLS 500 and a signed print of ‘Solitude, Resilience’ on the back seat. The prize package is worth over $10,000.
Becoming a serious artist
Kennedy has been drawing for as long as he can remember, but only started taking painting seriously about 10 years ago after moving to Cayman.
“I work in acrylics, but my pieces are now washed with salt water from Seven Mile Beach, so the sea is literally soaked into each piece of art,” Kennedy said. “Large artwork can add a bit of gravity to the art. I paint human subjects, and try to capture the emotion of the person within the brushstrokes, but I do put a lot of thought into size.”
The subjects of his pieces often present themselves to him, sometimes unexpectedly.
“Each painting tells a story,” Kennedy said. “The majority of the images were taken naturally, in a moment in time. ‘D’, the man in ‘Solitude, Resilience’, for example, was walking by his place in East End when I called out to him. After explaining what I was working on, he gladly took me out in his boat and we got to know each other a bit. A lot of these paintings happen just like that.”
‘SALT’ is Kennedy’s second exhibition; the first was held in 2018. This new one will consist of 10 pieces, with most not previously seen by the public.
“‘SALT’ is a series that depicts the connection between the sea and island residents. Each painting invokes a unique emotion, from exhilaration to peace,” he said, adding that they highlight life by the water.
Giving back
When asked why he was choosing to help raise money for three different charities, rather than just one, Kennedy talked about the impact of COVID on nonprofits’ ability to fundraise, and his hope that others would follow suit.
“Selling art is my livelihood, but I’m hoping that giving back in this way will inspire some others to do more within the community, if they’re able,” Kennedy said. “The charities, like a lot of individuals in Cayman, have been suffering since the start of the pandemic. We’re not able to have fundraisers the way we used to, and most are even being delayed, so the funds aren’t where they used to be.
“With less manpower this year, many of these organisations are finding it harder to get the exposure they need to generate funding.”
As a naturalised resident, Kennedy feels that it is his obligation to help support the islands that have become his home.
“I’m really just wanting to spotlight the charitable part of this exhibition in hopes of a snowball effect,” he said.
Exhibition launch and raffle tickets
The ‘SALT’ exhibition launch evening at the Mercedes showroom is free for the public to attend. The showroom will also be open on Saturday, 20 Nov. Raffle tickets for the prize package are $25 each and can be bought at The Bird, Steak Social, Bevvy, Bàcaro and Peppers, as well as at the event on 19 Nov. Complimentary valet parking will be available at the launch.
|Note: The paintings pictured in this article are previous works of Kennedy’s. The new series will be revealed on 19 Nov.
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