The International Reggae Poster Contest Exhibition on show at the National Gallery of Jamaica

The International Reggae Poster Contest Exhibition on show at the National Gallery of Jamaica

Exhibiting at the National Gallery of Jamaica until June 2023 are the final selected entries for the 2022 International Reggae Poster Contest (IRPC).  This marks the tenth year of the IRPC contest and exhibition.

100 beautiful posters were selected from 1,180 designs submitted by graphic designers from across the world. Women in Reggae Music was the contest theme for 2022. The posters illustrate many roles women play in the reggae music industry, such as songwriters, singers, producers, managers, and entertainment journalists.  Some also honour women freedom fighter and cultural activists.

Vasilis Givas, a Greek artist won the winner IRPC 2022 poster contest. Givas is an illustrator whose works have been published both locally and internationally in more than 100 children and adult books. His poster shows Jamaica’s national hero Nanny of the Maroons as a nurturer. Turkey’s Mahmut Soyer submission won him second place, while Mina Nasliyani of Iran came third.

Most entries were from China, the second largest group of entries came from Mexico, while only three contestants were Jamaican. Since the start of the IRPC ten years ag, there have been 9,280 entries by 800 artists from 90 countries. This result exceeded the organizer’s expectations.

IRPC was founded by the late Jamaican artist Michael ‘Freestyle’ Thompson and Papaefstathiou of Greece. It was designed as a precursor to the establishment of a state-of-the-art Reggae Hall of Fame pavilion and performing arts center in downtown Kingston.

For more on IRPS see Expérience Jamaïque blog

April 2023