MONTEGO BAY, St James — Two years after he listened as medical staff lost their valiant battle to save the life of a patient in the bed next to his, Julian Dadag Jr is telling the story of that life-changing experience through photography and poetry.

He is one of 17 exhibitors whose work is on display in the Due West exhibit now under way at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in St James. During Sunday’s official opening, Dadag spoke candidly about his experience in the hospital and how it has fuelled his creativity.

On Sunday, during the official opening of the exhibit, Dadag spoke candidly about his experience in the hospital and how it shaped his collection of photographs and unlocked long-dormant poetry writing skills.

“About two years ago I developed complications during surgery and was transferred from the hospital I was to the University Hospital because that’s where all the specialists are, or whoever could help me,” he told the Jamaica  Observer.

“When you enter the ward the general staff says, ‘You leave the ward in two ways — heavenly or through the exit’,” he recalled.

For three weeks it was touch and go. Unable to take food or medication orally, he received nutrients through an intravenous (IV) drip.

“What I had was something called a central line where they find a major vein in your torso and they run a line to your heart,” explained Dadag.

One of his photographs captures that period in his illness, showing the lines connected to the drip bag.

“My piece is more about life and fighting to survive, this was within our health system,” said Dadag.

It is even more impactful because it is juxtaposed against the tragedy of death for others who did not make it out of the hospital.

“I was fortunate enough to leave through the physical exit that we all use every single day and take for granted; unfortunately there are many of us who do not,” said the photographer.

A photograph of bedside curtains is his homage to those who died.

“The blue skyward sheets or curtains indicate that someone went heavenly, and his time of death was called at 10:13 am that morning,” Dadag said.

“He fought for over 20 minutes; the doctors fought vigorously. What we see in the TV shows pales in comparison to what our doctors and our nurses do for us daily,” he declared.

“I wrote [a poem] the night after the guy died. I was lying in the bed, I couldn’t sleep and the words came to me and I put it down in the phone,” he said.

Now a mechanical engineering student at University of Technology, Jamaica, Dadag wants those who see his work to view it within a particular context.

“It’s not really about death, it is about the struggle to live and to fight to live…,” he told the Observer.

“It was a like battlefield, they were fighting for this guy and this guy was fighting to stay alive. But, in the end, we all exit the same way. We all die; it’s just how and how you choose to die I guess,” he said wistfully.

His pieces are among those vying for the most votes to earn a prize of $250,000 in the Due West exhibit. It will not be easy. Other works on display include ceramic pieces from established artists as well as impressive new entrants in the field. In addition to other paintings and drawings, there is also print making and digital art. There were more than 40 entries but only 17 were chosen for the exhibit.

The event, which is returning for the first time since the COVID pandemic of 2019, is seen as a way to revitalise the art scene in western Jamaica.

Assistant curator for National Gallery West Monique Gilpin spoke of the impact the event has been having over the years.

“The inaugural Due West was very new and fresh so we didn’t know what to expect. But moving forward with the second one, people have recognised that it is now becoming a staple event being able to create a platform to represent western Jamaica artists. Now people are looking forward to submitting every year,” she said.

Curator for the National Gallery, O’Neil Lawrence could not hide his pleasure at the quality of work being produced.

“I am very happy to see the kind of outpouring of talent that we’ve gotten from western Jamaican artists. We never know what is going to come in because it’s an open call, we just asked everybody to submit. While we were judging it was very exciting to see the show come together because I saw how good it was going to be just from the adjudication process,” he said.

The opening day was also dubbed a success because of the number of people who turned out to see the exhibition. It will run to the end of August.