{"product_id":"paradise-king-1","title":"Paradise King 1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eParadise King 1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRonald Williams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMedium: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eDigital Collage Print\u003cbr\u003eDimensions: 40 x 30 inches\u003cbr\u003eYear: 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDescription:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen contemplating the idea of Caribbean Soul, my initial focus went to the landscape and unique tropical vegetation which read as Caribbean with just a look. However in the back of my mind I kept going to something deeper which I felt had a stronger connection to us as a region. That was our shared history of colonialism, forced labour, resistance and subsequent struggle for self-determination. To that end, for the creation of these two pieces, I pulled inspiration from ideas presented in Lamming’s In The Castle of My Skin; in particular, themes about resilience,Black identity and consciousness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe figures stand tall, strong and proud, even defiant, with their rich black skin while sporting crowns made from sugar cane and being dressed as field workers \/ members of the ‘first gang’ regiment introduced in chattel slavery. This alludes not only to an acknowledgement of the post-colonial socio-political landscape we find ourselves in but a consciousness of identity which I think we as Caribbean people carry wherever we go.\u003cbr\u003eI also can’t be oblivious to the fact that the region for the most part is seen as a paradise, which contradicts its brutal history and the lived experiences of the majority of its peoples. To illustrate this, the tropical flora which I was first drawn to becomes flat and pattern-like; presenting as artificial as the construction of this space as a Paradise.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Ronald Williams","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47359272059011,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"XCD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0609\/4215\/5907\/files\/RonaldWilliams_ParadiseKing1_2026.jpg?v=1782423659","url":"https:\/\/mustiqueart.com\/products\/paradise-king-1","provider":"Mustiqe Caribbean Contemporary Art Show","version":"1.0","type":"link"}