Born in Yorkshire, England

Edna Manley is widely regarded as the mother of modern Jamaican art. Born in Yorkshire, England, she studied at several institutions, including St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and trained privately with animal sculptor Maurice Harding. In 1921, she married her Jamaican cousin, Norman Manley, and moved to Jamaica the following year.

In Jamaica, Manley immersed herself in sculpture, mastering the use of local woods and quickly becoming a pioneering figure in the island’s cultural development. In 1932, she co-staged Jamaica’s first modern art exhibition, followed by her solo debut in 1937 and the organization of the first All-Island Exhibition of Arts and Crafts in 1938.

She played a foundational role in art education, merging youth art programs into what became the Jamaica School of Art and Crafts in 1950 now the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

In her later years, she focused on modeling and painting. Edna Manley passed away in 1987, leaving behind a profound artistic legacy and a nation forever shaped by her vision and patriotism.