Born Mallica Reynolds in 1911 in St. Catherine, Kapo is one of Jamaica’s iconic talents. He used the name Kapo from the age of 12 after having what he described as a religious experience. At 16 he had a religious vision and became a preacher. He moved to Kingston and founded the St. Michael’s Revival Apostolic Tabernacle. Kapo believed he was tasked by God to create paintings and sculptures, and his work reflected this religious zeal.
A self-taught artist, Kapo is considered one of the leaders of Jamaica’s ‘Intuitive’ art movement. Kapo became the first artist to have a gallery solely featuring his work within the National Gallery of Jamaica, in 1983. He was awarded the Musgrave Gold Medal and received the Order of Distinction. Kapo died in 1989 and was buried in the National Heroes Park in Kingston.