Over twenty years ago, on a golden morning in Montego Bay, my wife and I slipped into that same sunlit gallery where we bought in previous years. Tucked between vibrant canvases, a 45×60 cm oil on card stock caught our eye—its primitive style pulsing with life.
This is a vibrant, naive-style painting depicting a baptism. A large group of people, primarily in white, gather in a stylized landscape with colorful trees and a blue stream. Their poses suggest a ceremonial procession, while two white donkeys add a pastoral touch. The bright colors and flat perspective create a celebratory and almost fantastical atmosphere.
Allan “Zion” Johnson (Jamaican, 1930 - 2001) painted not from hardship but from joy. His primitive, almost childlike lines and bold, pure hues turned every corner of “Baptism” into a celebration. We bought it on the spot, carried it home, and gave it pride of place above our mantelpiece.
For years, that painting greeted us each morning with its festival of color. In the quiet of our living room, it transported us back to that warm Jamaican afternoon, reminding us that beauty and hope can spring from the simplest strokes. Now, as our walls fill with new memories, it feels right to let “Baptism” find another home—one ready to welcome its spirited charm and share in its timeless joy.
(Photographed in April 2025)