Exhibition
For his SS25 collection, Island Underground, visual artist and fashion designer Jarawa Alleyne takes his inspiration from Cayman’s culture on the fringes. Inspired directly by this body of work and the two collections that preceded it, this exhibition explores the rich tapestry of underground creativity thriving beneath the surface of Cayman’s perceived tropical paradise, as distilled through Alleyne’s artistic practice. This is ‘island culture’ defined from the inside, rather than through the clichéd lens of an external gaze.
Drawing on multiple creative and historical references—ranging from pirate folklore and body art to the traditions of performance and parody in carnival— Jawara combines heritage and innovation to encapsulate the island’s complex identity, bringing together his own diasporic experience, Caribbean traditions of upcycling, and the contemporary urban influences of music and streetwear.
Paying tribute to individuals who are seeking to define culture in their own way, his practice boldly champions notions of individuality outside of the norm. Inspired directly by the Caymanian art community, Jawara has also painstakingly researched works from the National Collection, which continue to inform his bespoke abstracted fabrics and unique drape work. These myriad influences have in turn resulted in something entirely new, through which echoes of renowned artworks and cultural practices are seamlessly blended, infusing them with movement and form through the transformational power of Jawara’s deft hand.
Working with archival materials, collections, artwork, and ephemera, Island Underground represents an immersive, multi-layered journey into the creative process itself—capturing the story of an artist as he steps into the spotlight and takes flight.
Photos from Jawara Alleyne’s SS25 Collection ‘Island Underground’. Courtesy of Jawara Alleyne and Agency Eleven.
About the Artist
Jawara Alleyne
b. 1993
Jawara Alleyne is an interdisciplinary artist, creative director and educator whose work is rooted in identity. Alleyne graduated with a Master’s in Design from Central Saint Martins in 2020 and in 2021 launched his signature brand under the Fashion East initiative. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and Marketing from London College of Fashion and a degree in Business Administration from the University College of the Cayman Islands. Alongside his work as a designer and creative director, he also lectures at Central Saint Martins.
Jawara’s eponymous label is based on a value system that consists of two core pillars – identity and circularity – and is informed by his experience with ‘hand me downs’ in a Jamaican household, as well as the customary practices of reclaiming and repurposing objects in Caymanian society. Speaking about his work, the artist says: “The stories we tell balance the Rastafarian mysticism of Jamaica and the pirate folklore of the Cayman Islands with the punk histories of London’s subculture. This collision of narratives highlights the importance of embracing differences in the construction of new futures. A fluid interlocking of archetypes and histories sits beside a design practice that weaves together drape work and circularity, arriving at handcrafted works that speak to the consumer of tomorrow.”
Alleyne’s work has featured in NGCI exhibitions such as Art of Fashion (2018), Cross Currents – 1st Cayman Islands Biennial (2019) and a solo show entitled Jawara Alleyne: Island Underground (2024). He is an avid representative of the Cayman Islands internationally, representing Cayman at the 2017 Carifesta festival and in London at the UKOTA.
