“ Iwanted to present our art,” shared art enthusiast and philanthropist Theresa Roberts, “in a way that would allow us to celebrate elements of Jamaican culture which are world-class, but rarely exposed.” The result, a collection of art that represented different eras in Jamaica’s progress as an independent country, styled alongside Sharmain Forde couture.

The collection was presented at 27 Cork Street, London. W1 on August 7. See more on Pages 14 and 15. (Photos: A Ward)

Theresa Roberts

Although supporting Jamaican artists is Theresa Roberts’s main passion, she is also involved in numerous UK arts projects: DRIFT — installations on the River Thames; New Hall Art Collection at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University, a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art by women artists, with the exhibition of Jamaican female artists in 2010, and the establishment of the International Slavery Museum forming part of Liverpool’s National Museums.

Roberts opened her own commercial gallery, Black Circle, to give exposure to Jamaican artists currently under-represented in Europe. https://www.blackcircle.com (Photos: A Ward)

Sharmain Forde Designs

London — Montego Bay

Born in London in 1962, Sharmain Forde has been in fashion and interior design for over three decades.

Initially making pieces for herself from the age of 12 — having learnt dressmaking skills and design on the laps of her elegant and glamorous Jamaican grandmother and mother — she completed formal training in pattern cutting, fashion design and interior design, all viewed through the prism of a contemporary art aesthetic. Her inspiration is Jamaica with its colour, texture and silhouette choices.

“Jamaica Independence is my independence.”

— Sharmain Forde, 2012