Visual Art Journal interview
A featured article about the work and artistic practices of Karla King
How has your Caribbean heritage shaped your artistic voice and themes?
I grew up in Jamaica, in a household where being an artist wasn’t seen as a viable career. Not out of lack of passion, but because the creative industries back home can feel limiting, both in resources and recognition. So my artistic expression was something I nurtured quietly, starting with those six-tube acrylic sets and flimsy canvases you’d find at a local shop. That’s where my love for painting began.
My work is deeply influenced by where I come from. Being Jamaican isn’t just about island pride, it’s a lens through which I understand the world, and myself. It is the root of my voice and it shows up not only in the colors I use or the textures I play with, but in the stories I tell. I come from a lineage of proud, powerful women — descendants of the Maroons, led by Jamaica’s first national heroine, Nanny. My family is woman-led: strong, independent, resilient. They embody a fierce independence that shaped me. The kind of strength that I both admire but also witnessed the cost that comes with it. How strength can turn into hyper-independence, the pressure to always be the doer, the fixer or the provider, and how resilience can wear you down. This duality is a constant thread throughout my paintings: the beauty and burden of strength, especially through the lens of womanhood.
