Jay Golding
Jay Golding, a Jamaican-born Accompong Maroon descendant raised in the U.S., paints vibrant works explore the infusion of Caribbean and African motifs.
Message
Jay Golding is a Jamaican-born descendant of the Accompong Maroons raised in the U.S., creates vibrant paintings and drawings that explore indigenous cultures, mythology, and his personal migration story. Using acrylics, oils, and occasionally collage or impasto, Golding infuses Caribbean and African motifs to draw parallels between these communities. His transformative trips to places like Ghana and Mexico have deeply influenced his layered, symbolic work.
Statement
Every person has a story influenced by their environment, upbringing, and life experiences. I create works that speak to the multitude of perspectives that different cultures have to offer - using acrylic, oil paint, pen/inks, pencils, collage and charcoal mediums to portray and highlight the emotions of friends, relatives, and indigenous/tribal groups.
My paintings and illustrations are often a mix of expressionism and realism. I adopted the alias Kwame in 2019 after my trip to Ghana. The pseudonym is a representation of my inner child, often creating fictional characters that are at times a fusion of various indigenous groups. I do this to create a discourse around the division often seen between tribal groups globally. Though we all may come from different backgrounds and geographical locations, we all share the human experience.