MANGO KUSH
Seeing Jamaica Through a Different Lens
AR Collection | 2022
NY & Kingston Jamaica
AR Collection
Mango Kush is a collection about perception, how Jamaican culture is experienced, remembered and often misunderstood. Hosted in both Kingston, Jamaica and New York, with VMBS serving as lead sponsor and patron of the arts, the exhibition invited audiences to look beyond stereotypes and engage with the deeper realities shaping Jamaican life in 2022.
Building on the immersive storytelling of Paper Planes, the collection blends painting with augmented reality, as a way to bring stories to life. Stories rooted in people, culture and conversation. Mango Kush is an invitation to see Jamaica differently and to understand why that perspective matters.
Verified
Direction
The Diplomat
Too Bad
Mango Kush
Challenging the Narrative
At its core, Mango Kush challenges the simplified narratives often attached to Jamaica. Works like The Diplomat confront the tension between politics and dancehall culture, depicting a masked politician adopting Vybz Kartel’s iconic pose, complete with “Bro Gad” and “Mr. Universe” tattoos, a sharp commentary on how political figures borrow from the very culture they publicly criticize.
Too Bad reimagines the legendary The Harder They Come scene and iconic pose through a female lens, layered with symbols like banana trees, can and wire phones and broadcast towers to explore how stories and influence travel across generations.
These pieces ask viewers to pause, question and reconsider what they think they know.
Identity, Survival and Becoming
The collection also explores identity, community and survival. The title piece, Mango Kush, moves beyond cannabis as a stereotype and instead reflects Rastafarian ideals of unity, spirituality and shared humanity.
Verified examines the economic pressures facing Jamaican youth, referencing the rise of online fraud culture without glorifying it, instead asking what happens when ambition outpaces opportunity.
Meanwhile, Direction offers a deeply personal reflection on growth and self determination, symbolised by two young goats, a nod to becoming the Greatest Of All Time while still in the process of becoming.
Together, these works reveal the complexity of Jamaican life, its struggles, resilience and constant reinvention.
Beyond the Canvas
Through augmented reality, each painting extends beyond the canvas, transforming into a living narrative that deepens emotional connection and invites closer engagement. But the real power of Mango Kush lies in its ability to travel across cities, cultures and perspectives while staying rooted in authenticity.
From Kingston to New York, the exhibition created a shared space for dialogue around Caribbean identity, contemporary art and the evolving ways stories are told.
Grab a Print
Whether you're building an art collection, curating a home filled with meaningful design, or looking for a statement piece that celebrates Jamaica, each artwork is created to spark conversation and bring a distinct sense of Caribbean culture into your home.