When Anthony “Taoszen” Smith was invited to lead the design of a public mural in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it marked another milestone for the Jamaican artist, whose growing portfolio of large-scale public artworks celebrates Caribbean culture and identity.
“I wanted to share my art with the entire Caribbean, making it my home,” Smith told Jamaicans.com.
Smith served as lead artist and designer for We Are Calliaqua, a public mural stretching nearly 400 feet along the wall of the Calliaqua Playing Field. Covering 1,915.8 square feet, the artwork was managed by Kingston Creative in partnership with Rainforest Caribbean and officially unveiled on May 25, 2026. It is now among the largest public murals in the Eastern Caribbean.
A Jamaican Artist with a Caribbean Vision
Originally from Manchester with roots in Devon and Mile Gully, Smith is now based in Mandeville. He attended Devon Primary School, Knox College and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. He also completed certification in Mural Conservation and Restoration at the Havana Workshop School in Cuba.
Now 29, Smith has spent the past five years working as a full-time muralist, building a reputation for transforming public spaces through artworks that celebrate Caribbean history, culture and identity.
His portfolio includes the Royal Promenade mural aboard Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, the Crafting Culture mural in Montego Bay, portraits for the Reggae and Dancehall Wall of Fame, murals at Catherine Hall for Reggae Sumfest, the Sabina Park Wall of Fame, Carib Cement’s Silo No. 10, and one of the largest murals in Curaçao.
Celebrating the Spirit of Calliaqua
Kingston Creative invited Smith to design and lead the painting of the mural, an opportunity that aligned closely with his artistic vision.
“What attracted me was that the project aligned with many of my career aspirations and intentions such as celebrating cultures and icons, and sharing my art with the entire Caribbean,” he said.
His goal was to create more than a visually striking mural.
“The vision was to capture the likeness of persons who were born and raised in Calliaqua and rose to the occasion of community development all the way to making international impact in their fields,” Smith explained. “I wanted to show and remind the youth of the area that they live within a community culture that produces greatness.”
The mural features musicians, athletes, community leaders and national icons whose contributions have shaped both Calliaqua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The individuals featured were selected by Member of Parliament Laverne Gibson-Velox, supported by research from Vincentian artists. Smith then incorporated the subjects’ achievements alongside local landmarks, flora and fauna, using colours inspired by the national flag to create a mural that reflects the identity of the community.
Collaboration Beyond the Mural
Although Smith led the design and execution, the project was a collaborative effort involving Vincentian artists Julaé Delves Ross, Carlique Craigg, Christine Browne and Kristopher Simmons.
“It was a great experience working with fellow artists who are both similar and different culturally,” Smith said.
That spirit of collaboration extended beyond painting the mural itself. Rainforest Caribbean donated art supplies to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College and funded a workshop for emerging artists, where Smith shared techniques in mural design, wall preparation, paint application, layering and transferring digital designs onto large public walls. The training was delivered alongside Shanique Stewart, Visual Arts Development Officer at the Ministry of Culture.
For Smith, mentoring the next generation was just as important as completing the artwork.
“The artists reminded me of myself when I just started out and didn’t know a lot about mural production,” he said. “I apprenticed a lot and took workshops. That helped me greatly, so I was happy to share in that capacity as well.”
Painting Against the Odds
Completing one of the region’s largest murals presented a number of challenges.
A trench running alongside part of the wall, filled with water and chemical waste and inhabited by crabs and hunting cranes, made sections of the mural difficult to reach. Smith eventually devised a makeshift solution with the help of his team that allowed them to complete the project on schedule.
The pace of the work was equally demanding.
“The artistic challenge was painting two portraits per day,” he said. “The daytime heat was quite high and the nights were not as lit as we’d like.”
Despite those obstacles, the mural was completed in just two weeks.
A Lasting Legacy
Smith ranks We Are Calliaqua among the top five mural projects of his career because of both its scale and its significance to the community.
“I know the narrative is important to the community, but the visual impact and scale alone help place it in my top five,” he said.
Looking ahead, he hopes the mural continues to inspire artists and residents alike.
“I hope artists take inspiration from its scale and the nature of collaboration that made it possible,” he said. “I hope community members can use it, even if just as a landmark in wayfinding. It’s now part of the landscape, and I hope it continues to add value.”
Managed by Kingston Creative as a joint initiative between Member of Parliament Laverne Gibson-Velox and Rainforest Caribbean, with support from Sherwin Williams SVG and Pros Paints, We Are Calliaqua stands as a lasting symbol of Caribbean creativity and demonstrates how Jamaican artists continue to shape public spaces and strengthen cultural connections across the region.
