Visual Culture: Taj Francis’ TENFOLD: Opus Series

Words by Saxon Baird—

Taj Francis, who was featured in our Toppa Ten Jamaican Artists You Should Know spotlight last year, has been catching our eyes for a minute now with his psychedelic, reggae-meets-anime style. The Jamaican music world has taken note as well. His work graced the cover of Protoje’s album The 8-Year Affair last year and, in 2012, Francis was a winner in the inaugural International Reggae Poster Contest.

Recently, Francis launched TENFOLD: Opus, a new project which sees him collaborating with producers and artists to create pieces that feature music with a visual component. First up, he’s paired with sound system Green Lion Crew (whose Rough Road riddim artwork was designed by Francis), supplying a trippy audio-visual experience on some Rastafarian magic eye tip. Titled ‘Temple,’ the visual piece interprets the “Fall of Mankind” in the garden of Eden, referencing Chapter 3 in the Book of Genesis soundtracked by Green Lion’s syrupy, melodica-graced dub.

If this first piece is any indication, the TENFOLD: Opus project will definitely be one to watch. Until then, check out more work from Taj Francis via his website.

TEMPLE from Taj Francis on Vimeo.