Donnette Ingrid Zacca (born 2 May 1957) is a Jamaican fine art photographer, lecturer, and artist.[1] The Jamaican Magazine and the National Gallery of Jamaica have listed her among the best photographers in the nation.[2][3]: 243 She has exhibited at the National Gallery's Biennial and was the recipient of the Institute of Jamaica's Silver Musgrave Medal in 2015.[2]
Donnette Ingrid Zacca | |
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Born | St. James, Jamaica | 2 May 1957
Nationality | Jamaican |
Education | Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts Maryland Institute College of Art |
Occupation | Photographer |
Zacca was born in St James, Jamaica.[4] Zacca cites her having grown up in rural Jamaica as the beginning of her appreciation of the outdoors.[5] One of her earliest exposures to photography was when her uncle had returned from the United States and gifted her a Kodak Instamatic camera when she around 13-14 years old.[5] It was a small point and shoot camera with 24 exposures.[5] Zacca attended Mt. Alvernia High School.[1] She majored in graphic design and art education at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.[4] In 1988, Zacca received a USAID scholarship to study photography at Ohio University. Unfortunately, she experienced discrimination during her time there when another student had destroyed her artwork.[5] In 2004, Zacca received her Masters of Fine Art degree from Maryland Institute College of Art.[4]
Zacca currently works as a photography lecturer and lab technician at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.[2] She is the co-founder of the Jamaican photography club, Just Black and White (JBW).[2] Zacca describes her art as the primary process of expressing her ideas.[5] Her approach to photography is based on the observation of her surroundings and the issues and concerns of women.[5]
Zacca currently resides in Kingston, Jamaica.[6]