“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.”
