Athlone Clarke is a Jamaican-born, U.S.-based mixed-media artist whose work weaves together narrative, memory, and identity. Born in 1956 in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Clarke immigrated to the United States in 1985. Initially working as a freelance writer, he eventually found a deeper form of self-expression through visual art, merging text and found objects into layered, emotionally charged works. His artistic approach is intuitive and unplanned, allowing the materials—each carrying memory and energy—to guide the process.

​

After moving from Jamaica to the United States in 1985, Clarke began his creative path as a freelance writer, using storytelling to navigate and express the complexities of his new environment. Over time, however, he felt drawn to a more visceral form of communication—one that transcended language barriers and reached deeper emotional layers. This led him to mixed-media art, where he began combining handwritten text, found objects, and layered symbolism into richly textured pieces. Clarke’s work is deeply intuitive, often beginning without a set plan and unfolding as a conversation between him and the materials he gathers—many of which carry historical or emotional weight. His early experiences as a writer continue to inform his visual art, which retains a strong narrative undercurrent.