A noted adage says, “Art imitates life,” and murals from artist Pamella Chang have shown the vibrance and creativity of Jamaican people through her art, capturing the eyes and intrigue of all who have seen her work. Sleek caught up with this talented creative to learn about her journey as a muralist.
Why Art?
“It’s just been my calling since I could hold a pencil. I’ve always been able to draw, ‘I’ve always been able to create as soon I could formulate words, I would ask where is the art school, where is the art college”, Chang shared.
“I heard about Edna Manley, and I decided to leap. It wasn’t much of a debate whether I should pursue becoming a lawyer or a doctor. I always knew what I wanted,” She added.
How long have you been painting?
Despite her crafting several compelling and eye-catching pieces across Jamaica comparable to that of a veteran-level artist, Pamella Chang shares that her sojourn in Murals blossomed following her lead-up to graduating from Edna Manley School for the Visual Performing Arts in 2021.
“I would say I started painting at Edna[Manley] in 2017 so approximately seven years”
When did you decide to do Murals?
“I started doing murals [when] I left Edna in 2021, and I started doing it based on a course at Edna; a mural design course where we learn how to design murals, how to talk to clients [about] how to calculate how much paint and the parameters and what goes into creating murals.”
She also noted that doing projects for schools and getting the reactions from the public, children and their interest in participating further fuelled her desire to pursue that aspect of art after leaving university.
What has the support been like from family
“For the most part, I had good family support. I had family members who were also creatives. Sometimes, I would hear my parents say I have good grades and [that] I should be a doctor. [however, I always had my mind focused on art”, she confidently declared, adding, “Based on the passion that I think I put into it, they eventually got [fully] on board.,” the eloquently spoken Chang quipped.
What’s the process like designing and executing each piece?
“Usually when it comes to murals, clients may say I want something on the wall, so how I respond to that is I usually ask them about the dimensions, design and surface quality of the wall she said. Once we’ve established all the above, I go into creating the parameters to continue. I then start to paint,” the Edna Manley scholar said.
Do you enlist other painters for projects and at what point do you decide its a multiple-hands job?
“It depends on the timeline, but sometimes if a wall is very large and there is a very tight deadline I call in a few of my mural friends or persons who could complete the job.“
What has been the most challenging project completed?
“A collaborative project I created with Joell Harrison and Anthony Smith. It was a mural on Trench Town, where we created portraits for the Bob Marley movie. It was challenging in particular because I tried to push the boundaries of my current capabilities, and [in the end] we all created something visually strong.”
Do you practise other artistic activities outside of painting?
“Apart from creating murals, I create a lot of portraiture for clients, and I also do a few graphic design works, like book covers,” the Bishop Gibson High School Graduate shared.
Chang’s works can be seen along downtown Kingston, such as Mark Lane, Church Street, Water Lane, and Port Royal Street, as well as restaurants in Mandeville and Montego Bay.
