Kingston, Jamaica Next: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dorothea Rockburne (American, born Canada, 1932)

Homage to Colin Powell (Conceptual Rendering), 2009, acrylic and 23 carat gold leaf on canvas, 16 x 41 feet

“Making art, for me, has always involved a combination of thought, research, intuition and very hard work. In bringing a work of art to life, I don’t rely on words but rather on what I see in my mind’s eye. Working on this mural has not only exposed me to the wonders of Jamaican culture, but it has also produced a work of art that captures the spirit of cross-cultural dialogue. While ‘Homage to Colin Powell’ pays tribute to one of America’s most distinguished diplomats, this is not just the night sky of one man’s birth. It is the same night sky we all share as humans of a collective earthly experience.”

Dorothea Rockburne was commissioned by FAPE to create a large-scale mural in 2006, which will be installed in the atrium of the U.S. Embassy in Kingston. The work was done in honor of Colin Powell and his family who come from Jamaica, and depicts the sky at the time of General Powell’s birth.

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