Molding a legacy in clay

BY WAZARI JOHNSON

Photo: Wazari Johnson

To a great degree creative people usually impress me; the idea that there are persons that possess the uncanny ability to transform a variety of materials into works of art is something that fascinates my mind. I am even more impressed with creatives whose substance extends far beyond their ability to create works of art; what I find even more satisfying is when these creatives possess soundness of character.

Murdena Redden is one such creative soul. This unassuming giant has been a great source of inspiration and motivation to me for almost 20 years. For over 40 years she has sculpted Jamaican themed figurines and became foremost in the Caribbean for this form of expression in ceramics. Her pieces have been sold worldwide in various hotels and gift shops, and the outstanding quality of her products has brought her a great deal of recognition through the years.

Murdena had very humble beginnings; she was born January 19^th, 1945, in the community of Bellas Gate, St. Catherine, Jamaica. She shared with me once that she always realized that she was creative; she would always experiment with materials around her and create different items. In her youth, she even learned dressmaking, a skill that would prove to be quite useful in life as she undertook her journey to forge an outstanding legacy in clay.

She was one of the first Jamaicans to prove that art is not just to be perceived as a hobby, as she demonstrated that a meaningful and lucrative career can be made from this sector.  Her work has been showcased internationally in countries such as: Canada, the United States of America, and throughout the Caribbean.

In the year 1988, she received a certificate of achievement from the then Prime Minister the Right Honorable Edward Seaga, in recognition of her high standard of work and her significant contribution to Jamaica’s craft industry.

Resilience is the dominant character trait that comes to mind when I think about Murdena Redden. She related to me that when the original version of “Things Jamaica” was shutting down, she started to ponder how she was going to feed, clothe and school her children. I can imagine how overwhelming this must have been; she had nine children to take care of, and despite it all, she triumphed against the odds. All of her children now contribute to society in various ways.

She related to me some of her thoughts, “Well I learned how to sculpt these dolls, this is what I do well and this is what I will have to continue to do to support my family,” and the rest as they say is history. She always would speak highly of Mr. Peter Cave and said that he contributed significantly to starting her venture; he helped her to hone her skills, gave her a lot of encouragement and assisted in many other ways. Though Mr. Cave gave her pointers on how she could sculpt her pieces, the brilliance they had came right out of Murdena. She created items with their own unique essence, and they had their own flair because of influences that she picked up along her creative journey.

Photo: Wazari Johnson

People who knew her work would always remark about the free flowing lines in the dresses of her dolls, a trait that greatly differentiated her from people who later sought to imitate and outright rip off her designs in some cases.  She said the secret to why her dresses had such presence was her adventures in dressmaking earlier in her life.

She literally made dress patterns for the figurines as she would for a woman, then when she put these dresses on the figures; she meticulously added the folds to coincide with the visual movement of her pieces. These pieces were commonly called “craft” but these pieces were all exceptional works of art in their own right. Each client got far more than they paid for when they purchased one of her dolls.

Murdena took the accessible and oft ignored Jamaican brown clay and made thousands of masterpieces. In so doing, built her own little empire of clay and a legacy in ceramics that has left an indelible mark on Jamaica. I am pleased to have met her when I did; she is one of the persons who encouraged me to believe I could start my own ceramic studio. I not only saw her doing it, but I saw this awesome lady thriving from her God-given talent.

The most amazing thing about her is how much she gave back to her community. She has trained a number of persons throughout the years, and always gave sound advice to younger ceramists and business people. To get a bit personal, I would not have been able to stage my final year show at the Edna Manley College, had it not been for her. Beyond this, Murdena has been a mother to a number of people who were not her biological children. Her daughter Aretha Facey-Dennis, a tremendous talent in her own right, is continuing her legacy of outstanding figurine creations. I recommend that you be on the lookout for her; it seems like artistic greatness runs in the family.

This lasting legend we have all grown to love, Murdena Redden; the lady is just great, a true hero in my book.