amjamin

“This is when the earthquake struck,” Captain Peter Gordon said, pointing at an artist’s rendition of 1692 earthquake at Port Royal capturing the chaos, destruction and the high waves that started to engulf the city. A tsunami of thoughts and scenes hit one’s mind, a flashback from the now quiet, serene façade of Fort Charles to an era where fables surrounding Port Royal, labelled as ‘wickedest’ place on earth, where one-eyed, one-legged pirates roamed, rum and silver flowed as freely as the waves of the Caribbean Sea surrounding it, romanticised notoriety in all its glory. Preserved in Fort Charles, Port Royal, are the remains and artefacts, which were excavated from the ruins, a collection that stands as a testimony to the richest city in the western hemisphere. The National Museum Jamaica-operated museum, housed in the fort, showcases items, which weaved those intriguing tales, and most of the items preserved in the glass showcases, speak of the vibrancy and diversity of...

To walk into the studio of Rafza Nehaul is to walk into a bazaar in the bylanes of India lively, vibrant. The colours and pungent aroma of the spices can get any olfactory to break into a party on the move ... yet her works stand frozen, capturing those elements. Nehaul’s work and media, in some essence, are a confluence of the world’s largest democracy. “I was awed with India when I went there,” Nehaul, a former science, biology and mathematics teacher, said. This visit commenced a love affair with the country’s colours, people and life, and became a series of India-centric pieces the maharaja (king) in his opulence, and the ‘big fat Indian wedding’ with the brides in their glittering finery taking the centrestage. Her travels to India were, in essence, the heady mix of spices, ground on stone to release their essential oils and then mixed to tantalise the tastebuds. “There are so many colours to inspire, and the spirit of the people is awe-inspiring,” Nehaul re...