Goat Curry Gallery

While walking along a peaceful stretch of beach in St Elizabeth I met Randy. We talked for a while and he told me that he writes poetry. 'Love inspires me,' he told me. 'I didn't grow up with love, I spent a lot of time by myself as a child.'

Randy told me we wasn’t taught how to love, but it has been something which he has found strength and purpose in.

Randy is soft spoken and very shy. He explained to me that finding people to trust and be able to talk to is hard within his community and that when you find true friendship it’s something you must hang onto.

While exploring Constant Spring Arcade in Halfway Tree, I stumbled across Gabrielle at her workshop. A born entrepreneur, a self-taught fashion designer with a mission, ambitious, hardworking, business savvy with a contagious smile. The following day I came back with my camera. We spoke about life, work, family expectations and the importance of positive African consciousness within Jamaica.

Thank you Gabrielle for your pure light and positive energy, you’re truly inspiring!

Check out Quaint by GSC to get your hands on some of Gabrielle’s work.

Sassy Sue lives and works in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. She's been a hairdresser for 18 years now and has her regulars who keep coming back. Developing, refining and perfecting her craft, Sue takes time, care and pride in her job, building herself up independently. This is a woman who has put her mind to something and made it happen.

Jamaican woman have a strength, drive and power that has truely inspired me to dig deeper and push harder. There are a lot of narratives about women who depend on men and who don’t want to work within Jamaica, but in reality there are just as many (if not more) narratives of women who are making big moves through their independent businesses. These are the stories I want to hear, these are the stories I want to share.

Big up yourself Sassy Sue. You are a strong, independent and successful woman!

Searching for Old Spanish Bridge one day I ended up getting very very lost, taking an hour detour as google maps led me to a random bridge in the heart of St Mary, way off course!

Along the way I met Bobo and his son at their bike shop. Bobo invited me in and showed me around this shop. I asked if I could record a story on him and he smiled broadly, ‘yes!’ At the time I didn’t have my sound recorder so I told him I’d be back. It took 7 months before I was able to return but Bobo remembered me and was happy to share his story.

Bobo remembers a time when his business was flourishing and he had lots of customers. Now, people get gifted new bikes from family in America and they’ve stopped using small businesses like his own. Regardless, Bobo continues his work as a mechanic and does his farming. This is a family business and Bobo is proud to have trained up his children with valuable skills.

At the back of Constant Spring Arcade in Halfway Tree, there is a little record shop run by Morton. His main customers are Japanese tourists looking for Jamaican 60's records. He used to sell crafts but now has gone into the record business. Vinyls are stacked ceiling high in boxes and crates which fill his shopfront. Morton told me he doesn't organise or categories the records as it wouldn't be fair. One person might want to buy all of them and leave nothing for someone else.

I love this concept. It's such a different logic. Perhaps Morton genuinely wants his customers to all have a fair go at finding a hidden treasure or maybe he thinks the longer they have to stay and search the more they might buy… Or it could be that he just can't be bothered sorting them… Whatever the reason, this idea made me stop and smile. It’s so different from the usual ‘buy, buy, buy, sell, sell, sell’ of conventional capitalism that I’m used to.

As I was leaving Morton gifted me a record and thanked ME for my time. Again this made me stop. I was the one asking him for the favour and for his time. I thanked him and told him I didn't have a record player but he insisted I take it anyway. I his this Morton with a new perspective and warm feeling of gratitude.

Rohan is a plumber from Kingston and works at the National Water Commission. On the side he does extra plumbing jobs outside of his work hours.... to get ahead.

When I first met Rohan he explained to me some of the ways that he feels Jamaica is stuck within a ‘plantation mentality’. How people have been divided and broken for so long now that it's become part of modern life. There's no support among peers, between brothers and sisters of society. If you're getting ahead others will become jealous and try to pull you back and hold you down. This is a phenomenon in Jamaica known as ‘Bad Mind’ and seems to be prevalent across all aspects of society.

Since I've been in Jamiaca I have this has defiantly been a common narrative and experience for many people I’ve met. When it comes to career and ambition people are constantly remarking at how quickly those around them will try to stunt them.

Thank you Rohan for sharing your insight.