Top Jamaican visual artists roll with Deiwght Peters this Sunday on TVJ

Six outstanding artists, who debuted their latest work at a new Olympia Gallery-hosted exhibition, ‘… And I Resumed The Struggle’, will come in for sharp focus on Sunday’s episode of Rolling with Deiwght Peters on Television Jamaica (TVJ).

The formidably talented collective of Phillip Thomas, John Chambers, Kimani Beckford, Greg Bailey, John Campbell and Camille Chedda assembled to exclusively detail their respective artistic processes at the Old Hope Road gallery space where their stunning pieces opened for public viewing on Thursday, December 10.

“I am becoming an art lover, and I am very inspired by the passion and style of this new elite group of Jamaican artists,” Peters told The Gleaner, noting that art plays a big role in this season’s episodes.

“Highlighting and celebrating our influential arts and culture has been [a] cornerstone of the show this season,” he said. Just two weeks ago he showed the deep-rooted influence of Jamaican dancehall culture in Japan with his interviews of sound system selector Bob Hemp Zion and internationally celebrated dancer, Cornbread. Both men joined Peters via Zoom from their home bases in Japan.

“It’s a special treat to be able to show my viewers how Jamaican art has evolved through the expressive talent of a cadre of new generation star artists,” he said. Peters shared he was able to get an exclusive peek into the exhibition by none other than the artists themselves, and called it an honour to speak with them.

Director of the Olympia Gallery Rosemarie Thwaites also spoke with Peters about the fascinating history of the Olympia Gallery and its role in promoting a dynamic (and often under-appreciated) Jamaican art scene. The director outlined the work involved in mounting the ambitious exhibition.

Also featuring on Sunday’s episode is award-winning, Jamaica-born author Donna Hemans who received critical acclaim and the Lignum Vitae Una Marson Award for Adult Literature for her recent novel, Tea By The Sea.

Peters is effusive with praise of Hemans, citing the Fordham University graduate and writer “as a breath of fresh air and yet another example of Jamaicans abroad excelling in their field, in her instance as the owner of DC Writers Room in Maryland in the United States where lives”.

For the show’s Glamour Zone segment, SAINT’s star model Brad Allen, speaks about his stunning international career going from being discovered on a bus as a teenager while attending Kingston High School to fronting global campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, ZARA and D Squared, and walking for the top menswear designers including Hermes, Givenchy and Calvin Klein.

Rolling with Deiwght Peters airs on TVJ on Sunday at 4 p.m. and repeats Wednesdays at 1:05 p.m.