NGJ Summer Exhibition: Derval Johnson

Derval Johnson

The idea for John Crow Musing came to me through the guango wood that I carved it from. I saw the bird within it and carved it out, using the intricate patterns of the wood to compliment its shape. For this I prefer to use the roots of trees, where the patterning is strongest.

I have always liked birds, in fact I have pigeons of my own, and to me the John Crow is a great and powerful bird. It watches over us, mighty and all seeing as it flies above, serious while looking for prey. They are Godly, mysterious creatures that clean the earth by ridding it of dead bodies.

Jamaica Biennial 2017 – Juried Artists: Derval Johnson

Derval Johnson – Dinosaur: 2 Bald Pates (2016)

From our Jamaica Biennial 2017 archives:

Derval Johnson was born in St Thomas, Jamaica in 1985. He is a self-taught artist previously associated with Roktowa in Downtown Kingston. There, he developed craft pieces in wood and alabaster for commercial enterprise. Representing the continuity of Jamaican folk art in the twenty-first century, his work was featured in the Jamaica Biennial 2014. Johnson lives in Kingston, Jamaica.

Derval Johnson – Dinosaur Bird (2016)