MEETING A JAMAICAN ARTIST

               OJAH
Lars told us to walk down the road and see the garden art at one of the houses. Since I like garden art and most others kinds of art, I was anxious to take the walk.
Walking up to the impressive gate of this home made us itching to see more. As a man was passing, on his bike, I asked if he knew who lived there. He said a friend of his and he is just down the road, he will go and get him. We waited, peeking through the gate, snapping pictures, admiring the beautiful flowers that were gracing the inside and outside of the stone wall that was standing guard over this complex.
Soon coming down the road was the man on the bike with his friend.

The owner of the house was OJAH, also known as BUNNY. I preceded to tell him how beautiful his gate was and how much we were enjoying all the flowers in his yard. He was very quiet and gentle. Ojah then invited us into his yard. As we followed him through the gate, through his gardens, passed the four cottages he is in the process of building, back to the home he built for himself five years ago, you could hear the passion in his voice.
He loves to create, make something out of nothing, scrounge for stones, wood, old signs, doors, things people throw away and turn them into art. Turning everything he touches into a piece that catches the eye and is different from anything you've ever seen.
Ojah has made almost everything in his home and is now building four cottages to rent. Most of the furniture was made by him, from found wood.
All pictures I'm posting are works by Ojah.

I took dozens of pictures. I'm posting some of them so you can get a feeling of what we saw. Although the pictures do not do justice to what Ojah has created! It truly was a garden/complex that was tranquil and majestic. ENJOY

Each gate and door in Ojah's complex was unique and designed by him. Each one was a different color which added interest to finding out what was on the other side of it. Most pulls were made from pieces of driftwood or ropes.
Stone was everywhere. He is now starting a stone rail for the porch of one of the cottages. Each stone is flat and he will drill through each attaching one to another with wire. Unique.

The dining room above was entiely made by Ojah, walls with shutters, stone walls, dining set and cieling lamp.  The red porch is on one of the cottages. The sticks coming out of the left wall are really the porch light. Sticks and driftwood are used throughout the complex, readily available on an island.
Most lamps and floorlamps are made from sticks. An exception was the kitchen chandelier~~made with a wooden base and bottles. I love it!

Ojah's front porch was full of art and pieces that he is working on. Every gate on his complex was a different color and style, each unique with details. The art work above the doors in his home caught my eye, something you ordinarily don't see.

The large leaves in the picture below are hiding an outdoor shower! So clever and so refreshing on a warm island!

 Enlarged is the roof to the left trying to show the detail. The palm fronds used for thatching the roofs at Ojah's have all been braided. A lot of work that Ojah had a local braider do.

Ojah's hidden paradise is called DE ZEN~~zen is a way of being. This is a place of tranquility, comfort, seeing things without distortion and peace.

Thank you Ojah for the tour, the insight of making something from nothing, and your company.