Art

Dating back from their first Jamaican beginnings, the original Maroons made woodcarvings and textiles that combined their own unique craftsmanship with the natural materials available to them. For example, calabashes were carved and sculpted into decorative objects of art that bore a distinct Maroon aesthetic. Paints, once introduced, became a key component particularly among the eastern Maroons. The Maroon’s industriousness saw them applying a multi-purpose approach to the commonly found cacoon, a nut that is an essential part of daily Maroon life. Not only is it a staple cooking ingredient, it is also used to craft toys, statues and other decorative and functional objects.

In spite of the repressions of slavery, warfare and colonization, the Maroon culture flourished through the mediums of song, dance, drumming and storytelling, which extended to the patterns and rituals of everyday life. Everything from the Maroon’s clothing to their home furnishings to the arrangement of their gardens was determined by a self-made aesthetic. This aesthetic was a combination of the Maroon’s West African roots and their own Diasporic story of survival and proliferation.

Each generation helped to shape and enrich the artistic expression according to the materials available to them. Today, visitors to the communities will find a wealth of craftwork that reflects the spirit of the modern Maroon lifestyle while directly referencing and stemming from longstanding African traditions.