Caymanian artist John Reno Jackson is showcasing the islands’ flora and fauna through artwork at the ‘Gestures of the Unseen’ art show in Nassau.
Jackson joins two other emerging artists, Demetrius Wilson (Haiti, based in USA) and Debra Cartwright (Bahamas, based in USA). The abstract and semi-abstract art show opened on 13 Sept. at TERN, a Bahamian contemporary art gallery with a focus on local and wider Caribbean artists.
The show highlights and celebrates stories of migration, memory and history, and shows the artists’ relationships with islands across the Caribbean. Featured artwork by the late Bahamian American artist Purvis Young (1943-2010) anchors the show.
‘A deeply fulfilling experience’
Jackson is exhibiting six works on canvas and two on paper, drawing inspiration from the Cayman Islands local environment.
“Specifically, the areas inhabited by the Cayman parrot,” Jackson told the Cayman Compass.
“The works are studies of the bird’s vibrant plumage and the trees they live in, such as mahoganies and birches, alongside patterns influenced by Silver Thatch ribbons and bags. Reinterpreting Caymanian history remains an essential element of my practice, and I plan to delve further into this exploration in the future.”
Jackson said the show has been a year in the making, and “to see it come to fruition was a deeply fulfilling experience”.
“We managed everything remotely, as I and the other artists, Deborah Cartwright and Demetrius Wilson, are based in different parts of the world,” Jackson said.
“Both of them are New York-based artists of Caribbean heritage, and our shared focus on abstraction, gesture and colour brought a strong sense of cohesion to the exhibition. TERN made everything super easy; working with them is fantastic. They really set the standard for Caribbean-based galleries.”
According to a TERN press release, “Jackson’s canvases cleverly blend indigenous practices – in which the Taino and Arawak people would form meaning through colour and metaphor, relating the patterns and hues in their artwork to the natural environment – with post-War modernism in their style and substance.”
Jackson, who is currently based in London, England, pursuing a Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art, added, “One of the most memorable parts of this experience was discovering the cultural similarities between Cayman and the Bahamas.”
Having spent two weeks in Nassau setting up for the show, he said, “I was struck by how alike we are in terms of food, nightlife, and the overall environment. They also have an incredible and historic art scene, which I see as something that Cayman can aspire to.”
“It was a wonderful reminder of how deeply connected the Caribbean is, and I left with a renewed appreciation for these ties,” Jackson said.
The three artists were brought together during the show’s opening reception for a discussion led by Amanda Coulson, TERN’s co-founding director and the exhibition curator.
Coulson told the Compass, “I’ve personally been following John Reno Jackson’s growth for several years. I was first invited to the Cayman Islands to visit the biennial at the NGCI around 2013 and have been back a few times over the course of the last decade.
“Each time I was struck by Jackson’s seriousness, focus and commitment. Watching his work develop and mature has been very exciting and to finally include him in an exhibition here has been a true joy. We are looking forward to a fruitful continuing relationship,” Coulson said.
‘Gestures of the Unseen’ will be open at TERN through late October.
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