Artist Bio

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Zorhia Allen was born on 14 November 1996 in Jamaica. In 2016, she commenced her tertiary education at the Edna Manley College, where she completed a Bachelor's degree in Art Education. During her studies, she was awarded the Cecil Boswell Facey Foundation Scholarship, the Julia Lyn Scholarship, and the Carreras Limited Scholarship. Upon relocating to Kingston in 2016, Zorhia became increasingly attuned to the complexities of Jamaican culture and the enduring legacies of colonisation.

 

The concept of psychological invisibility soon emerged as a central theme in her work, reflecting the challenges faced by individuals seeking belonging and identity. Drawing on her personal experiences with racism, she began creating paintings that explore issues such as double consciousness, social stratification, “fashionable publicity”, and the ongoing struggle of racial discrimination. Her paintings are a fusion of past and present. Utilising the visual language of traditional oil painting, she engages with both historical and contemporary issues. Zorhia's work critically examines the concept of social stratification and the persistent burden of double consciousness as individuals navigate societies still marked by the residual impacts of colonisation.

 

She has participated in several exhibitions, including Due West (2025), ITSLIQUID International Art Fair in London (2024), Face of Us at the National Gallery of Jamaica (2024), (IN)Dependence and the Atlantic World Art Fair, presented by Artsy and Olympia Gallery (2023). Over the past five years, Zorhia has taught Art in both Jamaica and Nassau Bahamas. She is currently based in southwest London, where she continues to develop her practice.