An embrace of two cultures

For more than twenty years, French-born photographer and artist Aline Luna Less has made Jamaica her home, embracing its culture and its people.

Now, she is allowing others to experience her journey through her eyes by exhibiting her latest work, entitled ‘The Eyes Are The Light’, which opened on Friday, November 1 at the French Embassy in Kingston.

Supported mainly by friends and family, Less showcased her latest offering of photographs and paintings, attempting to capture the best of human nature while acknowledging the battle between dark and light. For Less, her work combines her love for her native country, the Jamaican culture she has assimilated, and it empowers people to see the best of themselves.

“The majority of the exhibition highlights people I have met during my 24-year journey here. So for me it is a combination of my two hearts that I bring together,” Less told the Jamaica Observer. “For me, the eyes are a reflection of the soul. And through my eyes I want to capture the best of humanity, which is love, being authentic, being kind. Because there is a duality in human nature. There is a dark side to humanity, and there is a bright side to humanity.”

While all the pieces addressed the theme, Captivator is one that has special meaning to her, which was affected by the trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is striking that this is the only one where the character’s eyes are closed.

“It was during COVID-19, when everyone started getting really desperate, and I decided to have my character with closed eyes. The pandemic forced us to relax, reflect and wait for the outcome of this crisis. So this one is very special to me,” she said.

Another favorite of hers is a character named Carlton,
which is decorated with jewelry made from coffee pots and other accessories, evoking similarities to late reggae icon Lee “Scratch” Perry.

In the more than two decades she has lived in her adopted home, Less said she has not only cherished how genuine and helpful the Jamaicans were (to her) when she first arrived on the island, but also her understanding of the Rastafarian movement and its recognition of the history that both Jamaica and the African continent share.

“What Jamaica has shown me is the link with Africa, our motherland. So no matter how we look at it, Africa is our motherland, and I see that link between Jamaica and Africa. So it opened my eyes to a path in history that belongs to all of us,” she said.

Through her work, Less hopes that others will not only reflect, but also be inspired to see the good in themselves.

“I want them to think about the duality of human nature, because they are both within us; both the dark and the light. So it’s something we need to know about each of us… But I want them to feel good,” she added. “I want them to see that there is also something beautiful and authentic about human nature.”

Nadine McNeil, personal development facilitator and guest speaker for the launch, praised Less’ work and emphasized the importance of the theme, particularly the eyes as “windows to our soul”.

“I think there are two things that connect us as people wherever we go: our eyes and our smile. We don’t have to speak a language. I look at you, we smile, and we connect. She has captured the essence of her adopted home: she is French by birth and Jamaican by nature,” said McNeil.

French Ambassador to Jamaica Olivier Guyonvarch, who opened the show, congratulated Less on how her pieces showcased the best of both France and Jamaica.

“You show your love for Jamaica and for me it represents the love that we, the French, have for Jamaica. Paris is the city of love and Jamaica is the land of ‘One Love’,” said Guyonvarch. “It shows the best of France and the best of Jamaica together and only you could see that with the embrace of your French culture and Jamaican love.”

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