Exploring the work of diverse artists is the bread and butter of an art student at any level. For those who have left formal education it is incredibly valuabe in improving your craft and knowledge, but for those who are completing their GCSE's it also serves as a way to earn yourselves marks and create mature and impactful work.
Since I'm writing this blog post during Black History Month (in the UK), I thought it would be a good idea to focus on Black British artists and hopefully int he near future I'll create more in the series with a focus on other groups such as female artists, Asian artists, South American artists and more. So without further ado, lets jump in!
Godfried Donkor
British-Ghanaian artist Godfried Donkor, is a fascinating artist who caught my attention due to his careful use of found images combined with collage and painting to respond to his extensive research around slavery and colonialism. Donkor's Slave to Champ series features imagery of boxers from the past two centuries, overlaid over text, and standing atop images and diagrams of slave ships. It considers the connection between slavery and boxing, but also between the life of the African diaspora post slavery and the battles they still face today. This would be great for art and photography students alike.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is another British-Ghanaian artist and writer on the list, however her work is much more traditional in its appearance. Yiadom-Boakye is mostly known for her expressive portraits of fictional people she builds from her imagination. Oozing drama and power with its dark and intense atmosphere, Yoadom-Boakye's portraits set the viewer's mind ablaze with wonder, allowing them to project their own personality, history, and interpretation onto the figure within. Whether you're creating a pastiche or a visual response, this is definitely an artist you painters will want to pay attention to.
Enam Gbewonyo
You're probably starting to see a trend here! Our third artist, Enam Gbewonyo is another British-Ghanaian artist (and curator), who uses her education in textiles to create dynamic pieces that cross textiles, performance and film. Gbewonyo's work caught my eye because of the movement that plays across each piece. Thread, rope, or nylon wrap around frames and spread across walls, creating pieces that hold the attention in both two and three dimensions. Gbewonyo's work focuses on the marginalisation of black women, and the healing work that continues down to this day. Students across all disciplines of the arts will find this multimedia artist incredibly fascinating to explore in greater detail.
Valda Jackson
Valda Jackson is a Jamaican-British artist and writer who "explores the psychology of migration, identity, and loss." Whether in two or three dimensions, Jackson captures immense amounts of emotion in a simple drawing, sculpture of painting, encouraging us to think about our humanity, our identities, our histories. While her sculptures and paintings are pwoerful within their own right, it is Jackson's pencil and charcoal work that really takes my breath away. The markmaking set against the wood backdrops especially bring an emotion and an impression of isolation that is hard to desribe.
Hew Locke
Scottish-Guyanese Artist, Hew Locke is a sculptor who creates bold, colourful sculptures responding to British Imperialism and colonialism. Using artifacts and sculptures directly linked to this part of Britain's history, he combines imagery from the various cultures and peoples affected in the past and in the present by the British Empire. Locke's work would be perfect for students from all displines to explore, and even those of you who love working in 2D, will enjoy reseaching and experimenting with physical artifacts in the style fo Locke.
So there were have it! Five artists creating bold, distinctive, and important work that Art GCSE or A level students will definitely find value in studying. This is, of course, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their practices, so why not take some time to delve in a bit deeper and fully immerse yourself in their artwork and explore even more Black British artists beyond this five?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to comment below or e-mail me at info@hawthornearts.com.
References:
-https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/lynette-yiadom-boakye
-https://www.valdajackson.co.uk/
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