"Kapo"(2 10,1911-1989)

From Byuloss in Saint Cathrine parish in Jamaica,he was born Mallica Reynolds. Kapo was totally self-taught as an artist.His extremely intuitive art was an intension of his spiritual development,which led him into a life of  service to the people of his homeland as a religious leader.His first paintings were done in the mid-1940's consisting of straightforward religious symbols.In 1947,he was inspired by god in a dream to represent a scene from the bible and produced his first important painting;a Black Christ seated and reading the scripture by the Sea of Galilee.This and another important early paintings demonstrate Kapo's attitude toward race.In two Los Angeles the two figures face each other in a gesture comradeship.One is painted white and the other black.On the reverse is inscribed the legend "If there are white angels in Heaven then there are Black angels too."Many of his sculptures-such as Three Sisters 1963,Revival Goodness and the Flame 1971 draw on the intense emotionalism and the rhythms and gestures of Revivalism,offspring Afro Christian religion.Kapo himself was a Revivalist shepherd and was eventually ordained as the patriarch bishop of the Saint Michael Revival Tabernacle.He began to paint again in the 1960's and his power as canvas artist increased while his work in sculptor decline.As a painter Kapo is best known for vibrant representations of the Jamaica landscape.Sweet oranges 1969,Sunny Hill 1971,and Orange Paradaise 1975 examples.He also painted traditional Christian themes as well.Foremost among them Crucifixion 1967,Dark Madonna 1978 and Silent Night 1979.He married Norma Atkinson in 1964;the couple had one daughter (Christine) two years earlier.