Visual artist Samantha Hay creates 2023 calendar highlighting J’can proverbs

What does ‘Chicken merry hawk deh near’ and ‘Sarri fi mawga dawg, ‘im tun roun bite yuh’ have in common? They’re both local proverbs, but they are also an active component of the old time Jamaica themed 2023 calendar designed by Samantha Hay.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the uniqueness of our people; that and my passion for our language or oral tradition are what inspired the idea for a Jamaica-themed calendar in 2018. The Ole Time Jamaica calendars highlight our Jamaican proverbs which hold so much wisdom that any generation can benefit from,” Hay told Living.

The visual artist explained that although she didn’t know many of the languages and proverbs in her youth, she felt compelled as an adult to expose herself to what she had missed out on. Compiling a list of phrases or proverbs that stood out to her over the years, Hay was able to eventually narrow down her favourites and make her creativity do the work.

“I’m often looking up sayings or proverbs online and cross-referencing what I find there with books that I’ve collected; that’s essentially how I compile the list for what to include in my calendars each year. Once I’ve settled on 12 phrases or proverbs then I get to work right in my sketchbook by hand-lettering each one to visually communicate the general theme or message as well as to look aesthetically appealing.”

Here’s a fun fact: this isn’t her first ‘Jamecca’ calendar design. She has actually designed six. In 2022, the More Life Jamaica 60 2022 Calendar was designed in honour the 60th year of Independence.

For 2023, she chose to focus on quotes or statements that spoke more to what this incredible island has to offer and has accomplished over the years. “For the 2023 design, I revisited our proverbs with focus on words of instruction and guidance,” she added.

And while she believes all the months are great because each proverb shares a powerful message and a valuable lesson that will resonate with those who love traditional Jamaica, Hay couldn’t help but share her favourites.

“The month of February, which says, ‘Wah eye nuh see, heart nuh leap’ is one of my favourites. My other favourites include June, ‘Patient man ride danki’ and September, ‘Chubble nuh set like rain’,” she revealed.

The 2023 calendars officially went on the market in mid-November and the response so far has been great, “The first batch was sold out by the start of December and the second batch, which almost [doubled] in number, is almost sold out.”

Hay, who has been an artist for most of life, specialises in hand-lettered designs, “Words are naturally a big part of my artwork. But in terms of describing my style, I’d probably say what that comes to mind is bold, modern and culture-driven.”

Grateful for every bit of support in purchase, a kind word or recommendations to family and friends, the creative hopes that her brand, Jamecca Motif, will thrive at highlighting the richness of Jamaica’s language and culture.

“I hope that, whether you’re a Jamaican here or abroad or simply a lover of culture, you will find a slice of home in my calendars. There are many things that make our people seem ‘likkle’ but I hope we learn to embrace all that makes us ‘tallawah’,” she noted.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com