Errol Keane II is a Jamaican-born illustrator and fine-artist. He was always fascinated
by secret codes and hidden languages, incorporating it in his art from a young age. He
later studied at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts where he
majored in Visual Communication specialising in Illustration. He works primarily in
acrylic paints on a variety of surfaces. His illustrations explore themes of black
identities, narratives and ancestry through both visual and tactile elements. Ancestry
is a concept that is celebrated in most West African cultures. However, because of
the nature of West African cultures, and colonialism, it difficult to trace one’s
ancestry in Jamaica. References to the Yoruba and Akan cultures can be seen in his
work. Incorporating adages, poems or quotes onto his works in braille, Keane
encourages physical interaction with the art and awareness of braille and the visually
impaired community. He combines tactile messages with the visual message, sparking
discussions about the work, and its themes, with people who would normally be
excluded from discussions about art. Drawing inspiration from Afrofuturism, Social
realism, and West African culture, his work resonates with the social climate of the
‘Woke’ movement within the African diaspora.