Mallica Reynolds, OD (10 February 1911 – 24 February 1989), better known by the adopted name "Kapo", was a Jamaican artist and religious leader. Considered one of the greatest artists in Jamaica's "Intuitives" artistic movement, Kapo's religious beliefs were reflected in his work.
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
on 10 February 1911. At the age of 12, Reynolds had a religious experience and began going by the name "Kapo". At age 16, he received a vision and became a preacher. He later moved to Kingston, where he founded a Zion Revival church, St. Michael's Revival Apostolic Tabernacle. Kapo was a leader in the Zion Revival movement, and from 1976 until his death, was the patriarch Bishop of St. Michael's Revival Apostolic Tabernacle.
He began creating paintings in the 1940s, and he rose to national and international acclaim in the 1960s.
Edward Seaga
Edward Philip George Seaga ( or ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.Jamaica Labour Party and later become the
Prime Minister of Jamaica
The prime minister of Jamaica is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Holness, as leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was sworn in as prime minister on 7 September 2020, having been re-elected as a result of t ...
, and
John Pringle John Pringle may refer to:
*John Pringle, Lord Haining (c. 1674–1754), Scottish landowner, judge and politician, shire commissioner for Selkirk 1702–07, MP for Selkirkshire 1708–29, Lord of Session
*Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet (1707–1782) ...
, a founding figure in the Jamaican tourism industry, were both champions of Kapo's work. The latter collected Kapo's work, and donated his collection to the
National Gallery of Jamaica
The National Gallery of Jamaica, in Kingston, Jamaica, is Jamaica's public art museum. It was established in 1974 and is located in the Kingston Mall, a commercial and cultural center on Kingston harbour. The National Gallery of Jamaica also has ...
upon his death.
Roberta Flack
Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...
, an American musician, was one of Kapo's patrons, and his portrait of her is now held by the
American Folk Art Museum
The American Folk Art Museum is an art museum in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, at 2, Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street. It is the premier institution devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of folk art and creative expressions of ...
. His works have been exhibited internationally, including six exhibitions in the United States between 1953 and 1982.
Heavily influenced by his religious beliefs, Kapo believed that he was tasked by god to create paintings and sculptures. Dr. Veerle Poupeye, the Executive Director of the National Gallery of Jamaica, wrote that "Kapo's paintings and sculptures, as a whole, depict his Zion Revival life world". Poupeye noted that several of Kapo's works depicted Zion Revival ceremonies, music, and dance. Kapo is considered a member of the "Intuitives" artistic movement; a label propagated by the National Gallery of Jamaica to describe self-taught artists that had previously been referred to as "Jamaican Primitives". He is considered one of the movement's greatest artists.
Kapo died on 24 February 1989, and was buried in
National Heroes Park
National Heroes Park (formerly King George VI Memorial Park) is a botanical garden in Kingston, Jamaica. The largest open space in Kingston at 50 acres in size,
.
Honors
One of Kapo's paintings, "Shining the Spring", was selected by the Jamaican government as a wedding gift for the 1981 Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. In 1983, Kapo became the first artist to have a gallery exclusively of his work featured in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica. He has been named to the
Order of Distinction
The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') ...
, and awarded the Norman Manley Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was also awarded the Musgrave Gold Medal in 1985 by the