Leasho Johnson (pronounced LAY-sho). He was born in Montego Bay, St.

James,
on December 5th 1984.
His father was his first inspiration to become an artist, as his father actually
aspired to become a young artist but had to step back from his dream to support
his family properly.
He originally intended to pursue a career in commercial graphic design, but as he
began studying at Edna Manley College, but turned away from it as he felt that
graphic design could not convey give the depth and information that a painting
would. It was also at this school that he had his first exhibition in 2008.
This would be the first of many, and all leading up to his first solo exhibition in
2017 which was titled “Bellasario and the Sound-Boy”.
He works with mixed media and various sizes of work, ranging from oil paint on
canvas and paper, to stenciling on walls, and various instillation pieces made from
clay and plastic, and all of this came from him ultimately exploring painting,
ceramics and fashion design.
He gathered his inspiration at the beginning from artists like Andy Warhol and
James Jean as these artists were known for blurring the lines between graphic and
fine art.
Throughout the years its shown in his work as he mixes animated style characters
with realism, as well as his line work. In his time after leaving the college, he
began to analyzing the raw aspects of the contemporary Jamaican culture that
was his own, such as the various dances on the dancehall scene, as well as the
booming, synthetic pop of the ghetto youth, which was normally tasteless and
abandoned by Jamaica’s educated and wealthy classes.
These would become his subjects, as he would portray them using detailed
techniques which are usually linked with traditional fine art. Through this work he
has put forward, the local market has not only accepted this environment and
culture, but actually collect it as well.

He uses cartoon illustrations to deconstruct controversial subjects such as religion

and homosexuality and turn them into something comical and amusing, which
gives him an opportunity to express his interpretations of his culture and
environment and his experiences as a Jamaican.
He also thinks that cartoons can reflect reality in another shape/form which
reality cannot really show. These cartoons are less sharp towards our fragile
human emotions because they are not perceived as reality.
 Using these cartoons allows him to reintroduce and address he harsher realities
hidden in them. He Focuses heavily on Social commentary on a whole as it drives
him in his work. From the commentating on his colorful culture through revision
of songs like “Fever” by Vybz Kartel to the old colonialism of his people and
reminds us of where we come from in a fresh way. He goes about this by painting
or drawing these contentious characters and landscapes of old and makes them
more approachable through his cartoons.
These cartoons do not have an actual facial features but the mouth and this
could be alluding to the fact that he believes who is speaking the message is not
as important as someone actually speaking out on his, and our, shallow society.

This society likes jokes, parodies, and as such this is what he provides them with.
A means of entertaining their folly in a sense but cushioning the blow of how
deep these pieces are.

As stated before, he uses his love of Pop Art with a mix of various graffiti/graphic
art styles; then seeks to reinstate the aesthetics within the context of his own
culture. All of this is in an attempt to make a real relevant connection with said
culture, and makes sure his work is palatable and decisive for his audience. He
uses conflict as a device to intrigue others into his work.

He has taken part in art galleries since 2008 to 2017. Some of these shows are
Curator’s Selections Exhibition, Cag(e) Gallery, Edna Manley College, Jamaica,
2008
Final Year Exhibitions, Edna Manley College, Jamaica, 2009
“Art Fresh”, Mutual Gallery Kingston Jamaica, 2010

“Dirty Crayons” Red Bones Cafe, Kingston Jamaica, 2012

“Dirty Crayons,” Victory Run, What’s On Cafe Kingston Jamaica, 2013

“FLOAT”, NLS Kingston Jamaica & Transformer Washington DC, 2014

"Jamaican Routes", Punkt Ø Galleri F15 and Momentum, Moss Norway, 2016

"Caribbean Queer Visualities", Transmission Gallery, Glasgow Scotland, 2017

 Points to remember:
His style was influenced by Jamaican dancehall and pop art
His most well known piece was influenced by a vybz kartel song
He lives in New York
Name of his first and only solo show is called “Bellisario & the Sound-boy”, which
debuted in 2017 in Kingston Jamaica.

Ital Dish/Walk-like-a-dog, mixed media on canvas 2017

Pum-Pum tun up dive, Earthen ware, 2012
Back-a-Road installation, National Gallery Jamaica 2014