Edna Manley was born on the 1st of March, 1900 in London. Edna Manley was truly inspirational to Jamaica, not just for being the wife of National Hero Norman Manley, but also for her prestigious art work. As a child, Edna was relatively close to her cousin, Norman and ironically, he was a keen critic of the arts and aided Edna in sculpture and guiding her. Edna Manley was a social activist which shows how Edna cared for Jamaica and only wanted to see the country strive. Edna and her husband Norman were detrimental in the growth of Jamaica’s national movement as well as Jamaica gaining its independence. She was the type to promote freedom and equality which is something that she stressed should be prominent in Jamaica. She was a full-bred dignitary and that was reflected when she won numerous awards for her leadership qualities. As Edna grew up, she found a passion for Art and started to take Art seriously.
Edna Manley’s work has made a powerful influence on Jamaica’s art as well as contemporary artists that are making a breakthrough in Jamaica. Edna encouraged the advancement of Jamaican art as an artist, teacher and much more. Her movement has spread across Jamaica and even the world. Many people would go as far as to saying that Edna’s work was rather revolutionary and changed the course of history when it comes…show more content… Edna encouraged the advancement of Jamaican art as an artist, teacher and much more. Her movement has spread across Jamaica. Edna’s piece, “Negro Aroused” was easily one of her more favored pieces and was seen as the icon for the events that occurred in the year, 1938. This sculpture gained recognition to the point where the government commissioned Mrs. Manley to re-create the small wooden sculpture into a ten-foot tall monument that would eventually be placed at a historic site located on the Kingston