The National Gallery of Jamaica has named Ashley James as guest curator for its 2024 Kingston Biennial which opens December 15th. Titled Green X Gold, the biennial will be the closing highlight of the 2024 Gallery’s 50th anniversary. The exhibition will cover works on the environment, nature, and land, inspired by the Jamaican flag’s ecological symbolism.
James, whose parents are Jamaican, is an associate curator of contemporary arts at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. She says she is looking forward to the many conversations about this exciting constellation of artists making work in the Caribbean and its diaspora.
The Kingston Biennial is the flagship exhibition of the National Gallery of Jamaica and draws huge local and foreign audiences. James will work alongside Chief Curator O’Neil Lawrence and his team. She will develop the exhibition’s theme and select artists from Jamaica and Caribbean creative practitioners based locally and in the Diaspora.
“This year's biennial seeks to inspire artists to explore and reinterpret these themes through diverse mediums, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of Jamaica’s unique identity,” says NGJ’s Senior Director, Nadine Boothe-Gooden.