Tennesia Malcolm, Gleaner Writer

British painter Gerard Hanson, stands in front 'Lexi', one of the paintings from the 'Jamaica Was My Father's Home' collection which will be on show at Devon House, starting tomorrow. - contributed

Gerard Hanson has lived in the United Kingdom all his life. But there is one tie that binds him to Jamaica; a father born in New Roads, Westmoreland, who emigrated to the UK in 1956.

Born to an Irish mother, Hanson, now in his early forties, only began coming to Jamaica 18 years ago. It was an instant love affair. An affair which inspired a collection of acrylic paintings on canvas entitled 'Jamaica Was My Father's Home'.

These paintings will be among those on display at Devon House when Hanson brings his collection 'home' in his first solo exhibition. Sponsored by the European Delegation, as part of its bid to raise the profile of the European Union, the exhibition is scheduled to open to the public this Wednesday and continues through to May 15.

It consists of landscapes depicting rural life in the birth district of Hanson's father, where the painter spends his time when he is in Jamaica. A feature of Hanson's work is an almost abstract nature. He explains.

Feeling of movement

"I use this sort of sweeping strokes to create a feeling of movement. No landscape stands still," he said.

An effective method by the painter/lecturer when one considers pieces such as Grannies Yard and Full Moon, which capture the district's abundant vegetation and insect life in a telling manner.

"The work was chosen from a personal level; people I paint are people I know very well. The paintings are my personal interpretation, not just a visual representation," is how Hanson responds to a query about his choices for the collection.

While some of the paintings were done in Jamaica, Hanson said others were first captured in photographs and drawings and then transferred to canvas at his studio in Oxford, England.

The invitation to display in Jamaica bears special sentiment for Hanson who says he immediately fell in love with the country's vibrancy, especially rural activities.

Tropical vibrancy

"(When I first came to Jamaica) the colours struck me. There was a tropical vibrancy which I didn't have growing up in the UK," he said. "But there are also things that an outsider would not understand. You can be seduced by the countryside but there is an element of foreboding. My landscapes talk about that foreboding nature."

Dark undertones in Hanson's work not only highlight otherwise vibrant pieces but underscore the ominous presence of nature in a pseudo-battle against man; in some pieces the thick overgrowth seems poised to attack the humble dwellings in New Roads.

Social scenes also take pride of place in Hanson's collection with a standout being 'Lexi', a depiction of an exotic dancer brought into New Roads to generate money in a farming community afflicted by a three-month-long drought.

The artist found the blond, curly wig and too light foundation on the dancer intriguing and recaptured an almost lifelike 'Lexi'. Though the paintings capture varied scenes from rural life, there is one common thread running through all.

"One constant in all of them is a sense of beauty. As an artist I want to create something beautiful," Hanson explains.