Jamaica’s music and dance are phenomenal expressions of the country’s artistic spirit, renowned globally as reflecting the relentless energy, rhythm, movement and emotional range of Jamaican life.

On Saturday, October 7, one of Jamaica’s pre-eminent artists, Joshua Higgins will present a two-day exhibition of his paintings focused on the musical genres of Reggae, Dancehall and Rock Steady, particularly centred on the essential spirit of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, as well as a range of Jamaica dance forms such as Mento, Dinkimini, Kumina and more modern popular Afro-Jamaican expressions at the AC Hotel by Marriott on Lady Musgrave Road on the outskirts of New Kingston.

Titled, ‘Dance, Movement and Colour, Featuring the Spirit of Cliff’, the exhibition will draw from some 33 years of Higgins’ works, largely in the hands of private collectors, exploring Jamaica’s music and dance forms in support of his quest to project art more forcefully nationally, as a way of convincing stakeholders and the larger public of the intrinsic value of art to society and to build a coalition of increased appreciation for Jamaican art.

“If as they say ‘music soothes the savage beast’ within us, then I firmly believe art provides balm to the soul, it is good medicine for what ails our society at this time,” Higgins notes. He will be giving a talk to art students during the exhibition on what art means to advancing a truly developed society.

Joshua Higgins consistently brings his influences and processes his experiences through his paintings, which are characterised by passion, clarity, diversity and vigor. A multimedia artist, his primary love is painting and drawing and these will be on display. It promises to be a feast for the senses.