Interview with Sabine Coulson

Coulson Concept Jamaica: An Interview with Principal Designer Sabine Coulson

In this exclusive interview, Sabine Coulson, Principal Designer and Founder of Coulson Concept Jamaica (CCJ Studios), opens up about the inspiration behind the creation of her brand. She shares her journey from breaking stereotypes about Jamaica to using design as a tool for cultural, social, and political expression. Sabine also explains her passion for research, her transition to becoming a print and cover art designer, and why Jamaica remains the ongoing concept that drives her work.

Sabine Coulson, Principle Designer and Founder of Coulson Concept Jamaica [CCJ Studios]

Interviewer: Sabine, thank you for joining us today. Coulson Concept Jamaica has made such a unique mark in the design world. What inspired you to create CCJ Studios?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Thank you for having me! The inspiration for CCJ Studios came from a desire to break the stereotypes often associated with Jamaica. I wanted to create a brand that goes beyond the typical portrayals of the island, offering a deeper, more nuanced view of Jamaican culture. CCJ Studios is about telling stories — real stories that reflect the social, political, and economic landscapes of Jamaica.

The idea behind our prints and journals is to empower individuals to tell their own stories. We provide a canvas, in the form of beautiful, hand-crafted prints, for people to document their thoughts, reflections, and experiences. This is how I wanted CCJ Studios to stand out — as a brand that encourages introspection and fosters a deeper connection with Jamaica's rich cultural heritage.

Interviewer: Research plays a significant role in your design process. How important is it to you as a designer?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Research is absolutely vital to everything I do as a designer. To represent a culture authentically, you must first understand its nuances, its history, and the complexities of its people. For me, it’s not just about creating aesthetically pleasing designs; it’s about embedding meaning and context into everything I create.

Before starting any project, I immerse myself in research. This might involve reading books, visiting historical sites, speaking with locals, or even analyzing current events. It’s about understanding the socio-political climate and how it shapes the culture. This knowledge helps me to create designs that are not only visually engaging but also deeply rooted in the cultural and historical fabric of Jamaica.

Interviewer: You’ve transitioned from various forms of design into print and cover art design. How did that shift happen for you?

Sabine Coulson (SC): The transition to print and cover art design was a natural evolution of my journey as a designer. Initially, I worked on a variety of projects, but as I got deeper into my practice, I realized the power of prints as a medium for storytelling. Print design allows me to engage with a wider audience, and it gives me the opportunity to merge traditional Jamaican art and modern design.

Cover art, specifically, allows me to tell a story in a single image, which is incredibly exciting. Whether it’s a book, a journal, or an album cover, I see each project as an opportunity to encapsulate the essence of the subject and reflect the narrative visually. It’s also an opportunity to make a statement, to add context to the written word, and to elevate the entire experience of the viewer.

Interviewer: Jamaica seems to be a continuous concept in your work. Why is Jamaica so central to your designs?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Jamaica is my ongoing concept because it’s my home, and it’s a place of endless inspiration. The complexities, beauty, and contradictions of Jamaica fuel my creative process. It’s a land of rich history and culture, but also of great struggles and resilience. As a designer, I feel a deep responsibility to honor that history and reflect it in my work.

Jamaica is often seen through a lens of tourism, reggae music, and beaches, but there’s so much more beneath the surface. The social, political, and economic aspects of the country are just as important, and I want to use design to shed light on these facets. Whether it’s the history of the Maroons, the influence of reggae and dancehall, or the realities of life on the island, Jamaica’s complexity gives me endless material to explore.

Interviewer: What do you hope people take away from your work at CCJ Studios?

Sabine Coulson (SC): My hope is that people leave with a deeper understanding of Jamaica, not just the tourist version of it, but the real, multifaceted Jamaica. I want my designs to spark curiosity and encourage people to learn more about the island’s culture, history, and people. Through our prints, journals, and cover art, I want to create a space for reflection and self-expression.

“Ultimately, I want people to feel connected — to Jamaica, to each other, and to the stories that have shaped us. If my work can make someone feel empowered to tell their own story or to look at Jamaica from a different perspective, then I’ve accomplished my goal.”

“The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People”

Exclusive Interview with Sabine Coulson: The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People: Using Storytelling as a Form of Escapism

In this exclusive interview, Sabine Coulson, Principal Designer of Coulson Concept Jamaica, offers a behind-the-scenes look at her captivating project, The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People. This uniquely captivating collection of notebook editions and prints is inspired by Jamaica’s rich storytelling tradition, particularly the folklore surrounding Anancy, the trickster spider. The work showcases Sabine’s unique approach to storytelling through design, photography , incorporating elements of Jamaican folklore, printmaking, and vibrant visual storytelling. Sabine discusses the creative process, the themes of escapism, and her collaboration with author Sarah Tulloch on “Di Battle of the Leaf People”.

Ashley Coulson as the Leaf Princess for CCJ Studios “Anancy-ism Leaf Series”- Shot in Kingston, JA [March, 2018]

Interviewer: Sabine, thank you for joining us! Your new project, The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People, is truly unique. Can you tell us what inspired this concept?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Thank you! This project is deeply inspired by Jamaican storytelling, particularly the Anancy tales.“Anancy-ism” is a term that I came up with that blends the ideology behind artistic movements with tradition story telling, encapsulating various”isms” like symbolism, surrealism and expressionism. Anancy is a central figure in Jamaican folklore, representing both cunning and wisdom attributes. The concept behind The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People explores how storytelling is used as a form of escapism. The prints reflect the idea of weaving stories through nature, with the leaf people representing different aspects of Jamaican culture and folklore.

I wanted to take the Anancy storytelling tradition and translate it into a visual form that connects to the natural world — particularly the leaves and creatures that play a role in these folktales. The organic white strokes in the prints symbolize spider webs, which are central to Anancy’s craft of weaving tales. The hues of green, yellow, and brown represent the earth, the jungle, and the richness of the stories themselves.

Interviewer: The project is divided into four sub-categories, each with its own distinct focus. Let’s start with the Proteinacous Prints. Could you explain how these prints are structured and what they represent?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Proteinacous Prints consists of four black-and-white prints, each representing a stage of a narrative: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The black-and-white palette emphasizes the stark contrast between the stages, capturing the tension and release of a story’s flow. The organic strokes, reminiscent of spider webs, guide the viewer through the narrative, while the progression of the images mimics how Anancy weaves a story from beginning to end.

Interviewer: Next, we have Chloro/Anancy-ism, which focuses on the Leaf Kingdom and the character Ashley, the leaf princess. What inspired this sub-category?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Chloro/Anancy-ism centers around the Leaf Kingdom, a world brought to life through the colors green, yellow on a blackground. Ashley, the leaf princess, is a character from a story I conceptualized which Sarah Tulloch and I later collaborated on to create “Di Battle of the Leaf People”, which I translated in patois. I wanted the prints to capture the lushness and vitality of the Leaf Kingdom, with the green tones symbolizing nature and life. Ashley’s character represents resilience and strength, and her role as the leaf princess brings a sense of nobility to this vibrant world.

The designs use different shades of green to evoke the sense of being immersed in the kingdom’s natural beauty, drawing on the deep connection between the characters and the environment within the banana leaf.

Interviewer: The Sigatoka sub-category is quite striking, using yellow and brown tones. What’s the significance of these colors?

Sabine Coulson (SC): The Sigatoka sub-category draws from both the Sigatoka people in the story and the Sigatoka fungus that affects banana trees in Jamaica. The elimination of green and the emphasis on yellow and brown hues represent the struggle between life and decay. The Sigatoka fungus is a real threat to Jamaican agriculture, and in the story, the Sigatoka people embody this destructive force.

The color palette of yellow and brown reflects both the danger and the resilience of the Sigatoka people and the fungus itself. There’s a tension between the vibrancy of the natural world and the blight that can come with it, and the prints capture that complex dynamic.

Interviewer: The Leaf Stills provide a different perspective. How do these stills relate to the rest of the project?

Sabine Coulson (SC): The Leaf Stills offer a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at the project. I captured video footage during my process of collecting inspiration, and these stills are taken directly from that footage. Unlike the other sub-categories, which focus on stylized prints, the Leaf Stills are more grounded in reality. They’re inspired by moments I experienced while exploring the natural environment, and they serve as a visual diary of sorts.

These stills also act as cover art for the series, drawing viewers into the intimate process of creation. They blur the line between art and documentation, offering a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the world that inspired the larger project.

Interviewer: You also collaborated with author Sarah Tulloch on “Di Battle of the Leaf People”, which you translated in patois. How did this collaboration influence the design?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Working with Sarah was truly a collaborative process. “Di Battle of the Leaf People” is written in patois, which adds an important cultural layer to the narrative. The language itself has a rhythm and energy that I wanted to reflect in the design. Sarah’s storytelling helped shape the characters and their environments, especially the battle between the Leaf Kingdom and the Sigatoka people.

In our collaboration, Sarah’s vivid descriptions of the Leaf Kingdom and its characters was inspired by the initial visual language I created and the story of people living in a leaf that I made up as a child while living in Jamaica. She told the story with words, I told it in visuals, creating a rich, layered experience for the audience. The combination of Sarah’s storytelling and my design brings the world of the Leaf People to life in both written and visual forms.

Interviewer: This project is a beautiful fusion of folklore, print design, and creative storytelling. What do you hope viewers take away from it?

Sabine Coulson (SC): I hope viewers will be inspired by the power of storytelling and how it can transcend boundaries, whether through language, art, or culture. The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People is a celebration of Jamaican folklore, particularly the Anancy tales, and how they continue to shape our understanding of the world. I want people to feel a sense of connection to the stories, the characters, and the landscapes that inspired them.

At its core, the project is about escapism — how stories, through art and design, allow us to step into another world. I hope it encourages people to explore their own stories and traditions, and to see the beauty in the narratives that shape our culture within these notebooks.

Interviewer: Sabine, thank you so much for sharing your incredible project with us. It’s a wonderful tribute to Jamaican culture and storytelling.

Sabine Coulson (SC): Thank you! It’s been an amazing journey to bring this project to life, and I’m excited to share it with everyone. I hope it resonates with people and sparks curiosity about the power of storytelling in Jamaican culture.

“The Anancy-ism of the Jamaican Leaf People is a powerful blend of folklore, art, and narrative, bringing Jamaican stories to life in a visually striking way. Sabine Coulson’s collaboration with Sarah Tulloch has produced a truly unique exploration of Anancy tales, offering a new perspective on storytelling through design.”

Mixtape Editions

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Interviewer: Sabine, thank you for joining us today! Let’s dive straight in. CCJ Studios has just launched the Mixtape Editions, a collection of books that fuse the world of Jamaican music with striking visual art. Can you give us a bit of background on the series and what it aims to achieve?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Thank you for having me! The Mixtape Editions are a unique exploration of Jamaican music and the iconic imagery that has shaped its evolution. When you look at the world of Jamaican music — reggae, dancehall, dub, and beyond — the artwork accompanying the music is as important as the sound itself. From mixtape covers and promotional materials to the designs seen on CDs and album covers, these visuals tell stories of identity, culture, and resistance.

The Mixtape Editions seek to encapsulate that aesthetic through the medium of books. It's a celebration of the intersection between music and visual art. Each edition is designed to evoke the same energy that comes with a dancehall mixtape or a reggae album cover — bold, dynamic, and full of layers of meaning. The intention is to preserve and elevate the visual language of Jamaican music culture, while also giving a deeper understanding of the artists and their craft.

Interviewer: The Mixtape Editions project is an ambitious fusion of art, music, and literature. What do you feel makes Jamaican music's visual culture so compelling?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Jamaican music has always been more than just sound — it’s a complete cultural experience. The artwork associated with Jamaican music, particularly in the dancehall and reggae scenes, is a crucial form of self-expression. These visuals reflect the artist’s identity, the message behind their music, and the socio-political context of the time. Whether it’s the vibrant colors, the bold typography, or the symbolism, every element of these covers plays a role in conveying an artist’s persona and their cultural relevance.

What’s compelling about Jamaican music’s visual culture is how it mirrors the rawness and energy of the music itself. It's always been about rebellion, individuality, and community. The art is often loud and unapologetic, in the same way that the music is. Through the Mixtape Editions, we wanted to capture that same intensity and authenticity.

Interviewer: One of the most anticipated drops in this series is Cobramatic: Pictorial Representation of Individualism in the Stage Name. Could you tell us more about this edition and what inspired its focus on Mad Cobra?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Yes! Cobramatic: Pictorial Representation of Individualism in the Stage Name is very special because it focuses on one of the most iconic figures in Jamaican dancehall music, Mad Cobra. Known for his aggressive yet charismatic style, Cobra’s stage name is a perfect example of how an artist’s identity can be shaped through the power of their name and the visuals they craft around it.

Mad Cobra’s name alone carries so much meaning: "Cobra" evokes danger, power, and aggression — qualities that Mad Cobra brought to the stage in abundance. It also speaks to the ability of Jamaican artists to reinvent themselves through their stage names, often taking on personas that represent their boldness or rebellious nature.

This edition looks at how the stage name, as a concept, plays a key role in creating an artist’s persona, and how that persona is amplified through visual imagery. We’ve worked to visually represent Cobra’s individualism through striking, symbolic artwork that emphasizes both his serpent-inspired name and the persona that he created in the 90s and beyond.

Interviewer: Mad Cobra is a fascinating choice. His influence on Jamaican music, particularly in the 90s, is undeniable. How does the book reflect his personal journey and the evolution of his stage name?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Mad Cobra’s journey is one of transformation, and that’s something we wanted to explore in depth. When he first emerged on the scene, his image and music were rebellious, aggressive, and unapologetic. Over the years, however, he’s evolved into a more multifaceted artist, shifting between different styles and sounds while maintaining his distinct identity.

The stage name "Mad Cobra" is a perfect metaphor for his evolution. A cobra is dangerous and poised, but it also sheds its skin — symbolizing reinvention. The books reflect this transformation by using cover art that plays on these themes of aggression and change, from the serpent imagery to more abstract, fluid representations of identity.

The artwork explores both Cobra’s early years — with the raw, gritty designs that reflect his initial rise in the dancehall scene — and his more recent works, which show a more introspective and evolving artist. We also tie in elements from his music, like the themes of social commentary and individuality, which have always been central to his lyrics.

Interviewer: The concept of "individualism" is crucial in Jamaican music, where the stage name often reflects the artist's entire brand and persona. How do you think Cobra’s stage name stands out in the context of Jamaican music?

Sabine Coulson (SC): Cobra’s stage name is one of the most powerful examples of individualism in Jamaican music. The name "Mad Cobra" immediately tells you everything you need to know about his persona: he’s fierce, dangerous, and unafraid to make an impact. His name is a brand in itself, and it speaks to a broader trend in Jamaican music where the stage name becomes synonymous with the artist’s entire identity.

What makes Cobra stand out, however, is the consistency with which he has built that persona over time. In Jamaican music, artists often reinvent themselves with each album or mixtape, but Cobra has always kept his core identity intact. The name "Mad Cobra" has remained a symbol of resilience, strength, and unapologetic authenticity — values that resonate deeply in Jamaican culture.

Through his stage name, Cobra has crafted a legacy that extends beyond just the music. It’s in the visual imagery, the album covers, the flyers, and the posters — all of these elements are part of what has made his name so iconic.

Interviewer: It’s clear that Cobra’s name is more than just a moniker — it’s a reflection of his cultural impact. What do you hope readers take away from Cobra: Pictorial Representation of Individualism in the Stage Name?

Sabine Coulson (SC): I hope readers come away with a deeper understanding of how Jamaican artists use their stage names to craft and maintain their identities. The power of the stage name in Jamaican music is often overlooked, but it’s a crucial part of how these artists communicate with their audience.

With Cobra, we’re encouraging people to think about the way artists brand themselves, not just through their music but through every visual element they present. From the cover art to the fonts, colors, and symbols, each aspect contributes to how an artist is perceived in the public eye.

Ultimately, I want people to appreciate the intersection of visual art and music, and how Jamaican artists, like Mad Cobra, have used that intersection to tell their stories in powerful and lasting ways.

Interviewer: Thank you, Sabine, for sharing these insights. The Mixtape Editions sound like a remarkable collection that will give readers a new perspective on Jamaican music and its culture.

Sabine Coulson (SC): Thank you! We’re incredibly excited about the project and hope that the Mixtape Editions will inspire a greater appreciation for the rich visual and sonic culture of Jamaica. Stay tuned — there’s so much more to come!

“The Mixtape Editions are a unique celebration of Jamaican music and its visual culture, and Cobra: Pictorial Representation of Individualism in the Stage Name promises to be a must-read for fans of Mad Cobra, as well as anyone interested in the creative forces shaping Jamaican music today.”