4 November 2024
During the course of our collaboration on Reimagining Cultural Memories, I had the opportunity to sit down with Acquille Dunkley to delve into the inspirations and processes behind his practice.
We touched on Digital Art and Jamaican culture, and the importance of community.
Emma Miles
Acquille Dunkley, Post No Bills, 2024
EM: Can you tell us more about your career in Photography and Motion Graphics? How did it lead you to become a Digital Artist?
AD: Growing up, my dad, Leaford Dunkley, was a graphic designer in Jamaica. Some days, he would take me to his office, where I would see him alongside other graphic designers creating various marketing materials for local businesses. I didn’t know it at the time, but seeing art created in a professional setting like that was a huge motivation for me. Since my exposure to art was through graphic design in the beginning and my dad was a graphic designer, I naturally gravitated towards that at first. But eventually, I began craving more creative freedom which led me to my other passion – photography.
By this time, I migrated to America and finished high school in Florida. I earned a few college scholarships for art I made while there, and I was able to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia for my B.F.A. in Photography. It was there I learned the importance of using light and shadows in photography to create various emotions. While in college, I wanted even more creative freedom, so I started learning and practicing various 3D digital software programs. The programs allowed me to build digital environments while implementing my photography knowledge from school. These environments are similar to what I showcase in my art shows now. In my final year of college, my extensive portfolio helped me get an internship as a motion graphic designer in the movie industry in Los Angeles, California.
This turned into a five-year career as a motion graphic designer, where I worked on projects for Disney, Netflix, Apple and many more entertainment agencies. But being so far from Jamaica during this time made me homesick. This played a huge role in influencing my Jamaica-themed digital art.
EM: How do you think Digital Art uniquely contributes to and shapes the cultural landscape of Jamaica? What potential does it hold for the future of artistic expression?
AD: The advancement of technology has made it easier for digital content to be consumed in a quick and efficient way. Traveling around Jamaica, you’ll see large, glowing billboards, powered by LED panels. We’re able to see digital content showcasing our culture by scrolling on our phones. We live in a time when information can be digitally distributed and shared in a matter of seconds. Now, a quick search on Google can give someone from the other side of the world so much information about our culture. With a wider audience across the island and now the world, artistic expression has become limitless.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
EM: Do you think there are any misconceptions about Digital Art or the work that you do?
AD: Digital art is still a new concept, especially in the fine art space. It ranges from commercial work made to showcase information, like digital billboard ads, digital film, like music videos and digital photography to list a few. The moment you take digital art and put it on a wall, it becomes something else. It’s no longer considered commercial art, but it’s not widely accepted as fine art either. This is new territory for me, for us. Digital art has a place in the art world, but we are currently trying to figure out what that place is. As technology rapidly grows and digital information becomes more accessible, it’s important for me, other digital artists, gallery owners and curators to create gallery spaces that showcase digitally produced work. These spaces allow viewers to get more familiar with digital art on walls, which can lead to greater recognition and respect towards it.
EM: Can you describe the impact of observing individuals when they interact with your work?
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AD: I believe that I am just a vessel for the ideas that flow through me, and, fortunately, many people relate to some of those ideas. I’m grateful that the Jamaica-themed work I create is able to bring back vivid memories for the viewer as they recall similar experiences. Having those interactions with people makes me feel like I am living my life’s purpose. It’s a feeling of calmness and joy, to see the elation from viewers as their minds go back to those specific times in their lives.
EM: You’ve described your exhibitions as ‘community building’, can you share with us what this concept signifies to you?
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AD: The best compliment I receive is when people say the artwork resonates with their own experiences. Oftentimes, other people have similar stories, which can provide a sense of community. My art shows are gathering places for people to view their culture and be reminded of the very special memories they have in their life.
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EM: Many artists use their work to express their individual experiences, through which people form their own connection. With your work, you’ve mentioned that you express not only your own experiences, but those of the people from our culture… Why was this important to you?
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AD: The Jamaica-themed art I make is rooted in nostalgia and missing home from being away so long. Since migrating to America, I find myself relying on memories of my upbringing in Jamaica very often to provide comfort. My work is the visual expression of the emotions and memories I have of home, and I have the opportunity to show it to other people who also experienced the same feeling. It’s a privilege to connect with so many people, both from Jamaica and around the world, who resonate with my work and I take this opportunity very seriously.
Acquille Dunkley, Portrait of a Sound System, 2022
Acquille Dunkley, Barrel Dem Reach, 2024
EM: How do you identify the specific elements of Jamaican culture you wish to depict, and can you share more about your conceptualisation process?
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AD: There’s a popular modern saying that goes, “Jamaica is not a real place”. That figurative statement is fantasy driven but has some truth to it. There is something magical about the island. The reggae, dancehall and gospel music constantly playing in the distant atmosphere, to the dimly lit, yellow bulb illuminating the late domino games by street corner shops — there is so much to be inspired by. Sadly, it took moving away for me to realize how special Jamaica is. When thinking of art to create, I allow my memories and emotions to take the driver's wheel to bring me back to happy moments from my childhood.
EM: Are there specific emotions or reflections you hope to evoke when people engage with your work?
AD: I’d love for viewers to have a sense of warm nostalgia and gratitude for the Caribbean and the energy that vibrates through the islands. Out of many one people, a suh we seh it!
EM: What does it mean to you to ‘reimagine’ cultural memories?
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AD: With this newer medium of digital art, my aim is to provide an eclectic interpretation of traditional elements within Caribbean culture. I hope that showing the culture like this will help us keep up with the ever-changing ways of sharing information with technology.