Jamaal Rolle

Jamaal Rolle, also known as "The Celebrity Artist" is an award-winning[1] Bahamian visual artist known for his portrait depictions of famous political, entertainment, and sports figures. Rolle has received wide attention and critical acclaim for his depictions of notable people ranging from U.S. President Barack Obama,[2] and Prince Harry,[3][4] to entertainers Sir Sidney Poitier,[5] Oprah Winfrey, Johnny Depp,[6] and Michael Jackson.[7]

Early life

Jamaal Rolle of Nassau, Bahamas, was born on Thursday, 7 June 1984 to Harry Rolle, an artist and bronze sculptor, and to Judy Rolle, a conch shell artist. Rolle has been a professional artist since 2001, both drawing portraits and making caricatures for tourists on Paradise Island.[6] Rolle was first inspired to become an artist after a teacher who found a caricature drawing Rolle had made of him in class and purchased it for $10.00.

2009 U.S. presidential election

Rolle was inspired by then presidential nominee Barack Obama and started the "Bahama for Obama" campaign, which used the phrase "I am the dream" (an allusion to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech) during the 2008 U.S. presidential election.[2] Obama also "inspired him to do an oil portrait on Super Tuesday. He displays this portrait at the location where he works in downtown Nassau and it has received heavy attention from the thousands of American tourist that pass by on a daily basis."[2] During President Barack Obama's 2009 Inauguration, Rolle presented a portrait to Reverend Al Sharpton at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Rally in Washington D.C.[6] The portrait depicts side by side portraits of Obama, Sharpton, and King.

References
  1. Jeffarah Gibson. "The People Have Spoken". Tribune 242. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. Ben Arnon (29 December 2008). "Artistic Perspectives". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. "Prince Harry's Wild Jubilee Tour". People. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. "Prince Harry receives artwork by talented Bahamian artists". Bahama islands Info. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. "Sidney Poitier". The Bahamas Weekly. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  6. Robbin Whachell (17 February 2012). "Bahamian Jamaal Rolle becoming known as "The Celebrity Artist"". Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  7. "The Celebrity Artist meets Michael Jackson's children in The Bahamas". Bahamas Local. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
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