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Joshua Higgins is one of Jamaica’s most important painters, and this month is exhibiting his original work at Fuse restaurant, 366 Queen Street East in downtown Toronto. In conversation with Hugh Reilly and Erin Ademoglu, Joshua discusses the inspiration for his work, the economic and social situation in Jamaica, and how this is influential. His studio in a “sketchy” neighbourhood in Kingston forms an important backdrop to the artist’s experience, and we get a chance to experience a taste of Joshua Higgins’ working environment.
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Joshua has proved himself to be a Jamaican fine artist influenced, but not defined by his tropical origins. A 1978 graduate of the Jamaica School of Art, who continues to specialize in painting and drawing. As a graduate of the Jamaica School of Art, he understudied with Barrington Watson and Alex Cooper for several years after graduation.
In the early 70’s Joshua created agricultural literacy guides for JAMAL. In the late 70’s he taught art at St Mary’s High School and Wolmer’s Boy’s School in St Mary’s Jamaica. In the early 80’s he lived in New York and worked advertising and model making. In then 90’s he led a mural project in south side of Kingston to bring literacy, training and peace to urban youth gangs.
Over the span of his nearly three decades in art;he consistently brings those influences to bear in processing his experiences through his paintings, which are characterized by passion, clarity, diversity and vigor. His current portfolio showcases a range of works that is as expansive as it is expressive, seemingly unhurried, yet never outpaced by the cosmopolitan global village in which he now operates. Joshua is vibrant, visionary, eloquent artist, who is rooted in the Jamaican community.
Joshua is currently using his experience to explore the assimilation his art with fabrics, laser and 3D technologies to further his capabilities as a creator, which will influence future generations of artists.
Joshua has been constantly promoting change to the fabric of Jamaican society through the arts. Higgins’s art graces the halls of international institutions, organizations, banks and private collectors.
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