ONEIL SCOTT ZILLMANMUSEUM

ARTIST STATEMENT

A Journey to Distant Memories, a solo-exhibition of works by Pennsylvania- based painter O’Neil Scott. The exhibition features numerous never-before-seen paintings and several of the artist’s largest compositions created to date. Scott was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and the majority of these works are inspired by memories of locations and events experienced during his youth. They are a way for the artist to capture fleeting moments from childhood that seem “hazy, foggy and hard to distinguish” with each passing year. The paintings are contemplations of people, some familiar and others distant, and environments filtered through the disjointed lens of time and memory.

O'NEIL SCOTT

In Scott’s first major museum exhibition, he debuts the large-scale painting In Case of Emergency, in which he recalls feelings of support and community found within the walls of the black church. These memories are like a warm embrace, which radiate from the vibrant congregants who occupy the wooden pews. Incorporated within the work is an image of a blue heron emerging as a symbol of ascendance, a beacon of beauty and hope.

In Fading Promises, a new painting from 2025, the artist addresses the complexities surrounding migration and relocation while in search for opportunities and a better life. The painting is a tribute to Scott’s mother who journeyed to America to build a future for her family. The artist states that Fading Promises “captures the tension between the bright lights of ambition and the shadows of sacrifice that are often hidden within the pursuit of a dream.” Strong highlights define the gentle face of the young woman, as her fractured form seems to meld into a background of glimmering cruise ship lights and buildings that emerge from the darkened night sky.

A JOURNEY TO DISTANT MEMORIES

ARTIST STATEMENT