For Jamaican artist Tricia Gordon-Johnston, a 12-year journey starting with self-directed experimentation in handmade jewellery has culminated in a landmark international partnership, bringing her distinct minimalist design vision to a global stage. The founder of independent brand Tricia Handmade is now working alongside Italy-based fine jewellery label MindMink by Octo Jewels, combining the company’s lab-grown diamond expertise with Gordon-Johnston’s signature handcrafted approach.
Gordon-Johnston shared the details of the new collaboration in an interview with *Observer Online*, noting that the partnership officially launched in late 2023. Under the terms of the joint project, MindMink by Octo Jewels produces ethically grown lab diamonds, while Gordon-Johnston leads all original design and hand-finishing of the finished jewellery pieces.
The brand’s origins stretch back to a side creative pursuit Gordon-Johnston took up while pursuing formal fine arts training in painting at Jamaica’s Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Though her academic program centered on painting, the artist’s complementary coursework in ceramics and printmaking gave her a broad technical foundation that continues to shape her multi-disciplinary practice today.
A self-taught jeweller, Gordon-Johnston launched her brand by selling small runs of handmade pieces at local Kingston boutique Gayshel, setting up shop every Saturday to connect directly with customers. Over more than a decade, she steadily grew her reputation and audience, building a distinct brand identity defined by handcrafted quality and understated minimalist aesthetics. In recent years, she has expanded her practice to return to her roots in painting and pick up ceramics again, growing her creative portfolio beyond jewellery.
Today, her range of original work includes fine jewellery, hand-sculpted ceramic masks, original paintings, and experimental work in clothing and graphic design. Her design aesthetic draws heavily on geometric shapes—triangles, squares, and circles are recurring motifs that echo tribal art traditions. Her recently popular ceramic masks have drawn comparisons to pre-Columbian Taino artistic traditions, a connection that ties her work back to the layered cultural history of Jamaica, even as she retains her minimalist core.
Gordon-Johnston’s lifelong passion for art has defied conventional expectations: she grew up in a household of accountants, with no family background in creative practice, but art has been a core part of her identity from childhood. She credits a trio of influential Jamaican artistic mentors—Omari Ra, Petrona Morrison, and Norma Harroch—for shaping her creative perspective and supporting her career growth. Over the course of her career, she has shown her work in exhibitions at leading institutions including the National Gallery of Jamaica, as well as international shows in Florida.
Currently, Gordon-Johnston sells her full range of handmade work every Saturday at Mutambo Indigenous, a local retailer focused on Jamaican craft, and regularly participates in pop-up and cultural events across the island to share her work with new audiences.