JACK ALLEN

BIOGRAPHY

Jamaican artist Jack Allen was born on August 15, 1954.  He spent his early years in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew.

He attended Jamaica College where he gained the General Certificate in Education (GCE) at the ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels in Art, and was awarded ‘Best Art Student’ while there. Despite his strength as a visual art student, Allen would go on to pursue a course in Supervisory Management at the then College of Art Science and Technology (now the University of Technology).

His supervisory management skills would lead him to work with Land Valuation Office and the Forestry Department, presenting him the opportunity to go deep into the interior of the island, where the sheer beauty of Jamaica’s country side and the people’s habitat were revealed. He developed a determination to showcase the “Jamaica way of life” and “Jamaican Scenes” that would best exhibit the vision of the country he experienced.

Jack is a self-taught artist. He has entered the competition run by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the agency of Government responsible for showcasing the Arts in Jamaica.  Between 1999 and 2005 he has won four Bronze Medals, one Silver Medal and three Merit Awards.

Over the years he has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows within Jamaica and other countries. Many of his paintings adorn the walls of homes and offices in the United States, Canada, Turks and Caicos Island, Trinidad and Tobago and here in Jamaica, including the prestigious Bank of Jamaica collection. In 2008 his work reached a wider audience when it was featured in The Air Jamaica airline’s annual calendar. 

Jack sees these accomplishments as a work-in –progress and vows to continue his research on the Jamaican Heritage and its cultural practices, which he will incorporate into his future works. He feels blessed that he has been able to share his observation and experience of Jamaica through his art.

He maintains his home and studio in Swansea, Clarendon, Jamaica.

Solo Exhibitions

Bloomfield Great House – 2003
Halse Hall Great House – 2004
Nyack – New York – 2004
Oakton House Gallery – 2007
Hilton Hotel – 2008

Group Exhibitions

All Things Jamaican Exhibition at Oakton House Gallery – 2009
Exploring Jamaican Architecture at Oakton House Gallery– 2009

List of Awards

Bronze Medal – JCDC 1999                     Silver Medal – JCDC 2000
Merit Award – JCDC 2000                        Merit Award – JCDC 2003
Merit Award – JCDC 2004                        Merit Award – JCDC 2004
Bronze Medal – JCDC 2005                     Bronze Medal – JCDC 2005
Bronze Medal – JCDC 2005                     Gold Medal – JCDC 2006