Foreign‑based street artists brighten Ocho Rios
Published:Thursday | February 5, 2026 | 12:06 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
An unused building at the base of Milford Road in Ocho Rios has become an unlikely canvas for two foreign-based street artists. Their mural has not only enlivened that stretch of the resort town but also turned it into a talking point — and a favoured backdrop for photographs.
The project bears the imprint of Cristhian Saravia, a Venezuelan-born street artist, muralist and designer known as Golden305. He applied his trademark animated style, marked by vivid, traditional colours, to a building that once housed a supermarket and stood abandoned for years, despite a brief revival as a restaurant that has since closed.
Working with Kobra paint, Golden305 was assisted by Klonism — the artistic pseudonym of British graffiti and street artist Jake Klone — alongside several others. Together they gifted Ocho Rios a striking mural: a giant turtle, richly patterned in multiple colours, swimming above the words “Ocho Rios”, each letter rendered in a different hue. Nearby is a portrait of reggae icon Bob Marley, accompanied by “Could You Be Love”, the title of one of his songs.
Golden305 also painted Kaya Herbhouse, the project’s main focus, and took time to decorate a peanut vendor’s cart. The vendor, who said he has been selling peanuts in Ocho Rios for more than 20 years, warmly welcomed the unexpected makeover.
Residents and passers-by have praised the work, describing it as overdue and transformative, bringing colour and life to a neglected area. Golden305 has since shared scenes from Ocho Rios on social media, amplifying the mural’s reach beyond the town.
Golden305 is a member of several established collectives, including Art Republic, Beyond Walls, The Bushwick Collective, Big Walls Big Dreams, Favela Painting Projects, Meeting of Styles and the Wynwood Walls Street Art Experience. Through these, he has played a significant role in the development of contemporary street art.
The murals form part of the Jamforjamaica project, implemented in collaboration with the creative company Likemindedart.