From Jamaica to Pantone: Natasha Cunningham and Cloud Dancer

Jamaican visual artist Natasha Cunningham is among the voices shaping Pantone’s 2026 Colour of the Year, Cloud Dancer, bringing Caribbean creativity to the international stage. The feature highlights her reflections on creative reset and the role of calm and focus in her work, values that resonate strongly both in her artistic journey and the shade itself.

Natasha’s artistic journey is a blend of formal training, professional experience and a fearless embrace of digital media. A graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, she earned her BFA in Visual Communication before spending over ten years in advertising. Today she leads her own creative studio, where her practice spans visual art, graphic design, digital collage and portraiture, blending conceptual rigour with vibrant storytelling.

Her work has received international recognition. In 2022 she was featured on the Adobe Photoshop Splash Screen and her commissions include collaborations with global brands such as Netflix, Apple, Adobe, Marvel, Rolling Stone and Hulu. Exhibitions in Leeds, Vancouver, Kingston and New York have further cemented her presence on the global creative scene.

On Instagram Natasha shared her excitement about working with Pantone. She wrote, “I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with @pantone about creative reset and what that looks like for me & my creative process. I’m beyond grateful & excited to be one of the featured artists for the introduction of the Pantone Colour of the Year 2026, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer☁️.”

The colour, described by Pantone as a calming, billowy white imbued with serenity, mirrors Natasha’s approach to creativity, allowing space for reflection, renewal and imaginative exploration.

For Caribbean artists, Natasha’s feature is more than personal recognition. It is a celebration of regional talent on a global stage and demonstrates that the Caribbean continues to shape contemporary art and design in meaningful ways. Her work reflects a narrative of creativity that is both local and universal, grounded in her Jamaican roots while speaking to a worldwide audience.

As Cloud Dancer drifts between light and ethereal, so too does Natasha’s artistic vision, inviting viewers to pause, reflect and explore new possibilities. Her journey is a reminder that Caribbean creativity not only deserves recognition but is actively influencing global conversations in art and design.