Adelaide Damoah

Adelaide Damoah is a British artist of Ghanaian descent whose earlier work combined African and Western influences while highlighting social issues. In her most recently exhibited work, Damoah tells personal stories of love and pain by combining studies of the female form with text. She cites her main influence as being Frida Kahlo.

Damoah’s debut exhibition entitled “Black Brits,” took place in 2006 in the well respected Charlie Allen’s Boutique, Islington, London, UK and received some media attention. It was featured on BBC News, Channel 5 News and other regional and local media outlets in the UK.

Damoah’s solo exhibitions to date also include This is Us, Supermodels, Black Lipstick, and a domestic violence exhibition for registered charity, the National Centre for Domestic Violence.[1]

Education

Damoah studied Applied Biology at Kingston University in Surrey, England graduating with honours in 1999.[2][3]

Career

Damoah worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a medical representative for six years. During that time, Damoah was diagnosed with Endometriosis. The condition forced her to leave the industry and pursue oil painting.[4]

Damoah's debut exhibition Black Brits was launched in 2006. The exhibition sought to examine the role of race and identity in iconography. The series, through a series of portraits sought to question whether the race of major British icons as diverse as the Krays and David Beckham were relevant to their given status as icons by painting them with reversed skin colours.[5]

On March 6, 2006, Damoah arranged a demonstration at Parliament Square as part of Endometriosis awareness week with Endometriosis charity Endometriosis UK. The event was marked by a communal SCREAM with protesters, followed by a march to 10 Downing Street to hand a 13,000 signature petition to then Prime Minister Tony Blair.[6]

Damoah's second exhibition came in the form of "Supermodels" exhibited at Nolia's Gallery, London in 2008.[7] The series of large oil paintings examined the size zero discussion, which became a popular social debate in 2006. Subsequent exhibitions include "Black Lipstick" in 2008 [8] and "NCDV" in 2009.[9]" Damoah was invited to Hungary in 2009 to take part in an exhibition entitled "British Art in the Twenty First Century" at Opera Gallery in Budapest.[10]

In November 2015, Damoah put on the fifth solo exhibition in Camden, London entitled "This is Us."[11]

Damoah's current work involves using her own body as "a paintbrush of sorts," [12] by covering herself with oil paint and pressing her body onto her painting surface, leaving impressions, or traces of herself behind. Only too aware of the historic hyper-sexualisation of the black female body, Damoah is resolute that this is far from what she wishes to explore in the work. Gender and race are obvious issues which are apparent, however, Damoah maintains that the work is about much more than this.[12] Writing on her painting surfaces using text in English, Twi and Ga, (the latter two being the languages of the artists parents) Damoah expresses a deep desire to connect with her Ghanaian roots, while entering into a conversation about where she fits in as a child of the African Diaspora.[13] The influence of artist Artist Ana Mendieta is apparent in this new work, while direct references in her written text to artist Jean Michele Basquiat, reflect a self confessed admiration for the artist.[12]

Damoah cites Frida Kahlo as her main artistic influence.[14] To date, Damoah has examined social issues in her work including issues regarding race, identity, sexuality, and domestic violence.

References

  1. ↑ "Bio". 2014-01-05. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  2. ↑ River Newspaper February 2006 http://www.damoaharts.com/press/docs/0602_river_newspaper_kingston.jpg
  3. ↑ 234 NEXT Studio Visit with Adelaide Damoah "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  4. ↑ Mimi Magazine 2006 http://www.mimimagazine.com/may2006/02-05-damoahart01.html
  5. ↑ "Exhibition Hat-Trick for Essex Painter Adelaide Damoah", Overground Online, 15 October 2008. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  6. ↑ Endometriosis Awareness Week 2006 http://endometriosis.org/news/support-awareness/endometriosis-awareness-week-creates-noise-light-and-hope/
  7. ↑ Art Rabbit Event http://www.artrabbit.com/events/event/6998/supermodels
  8. ↑ Overground Online http://www.overgroundonline.com/news-1044/exhibition-hat-trick-for-essex-painter-adelaide-damoah.html
  9. ↑ BBC Radio interview "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  10. ↑ Opera Gallery Budapest "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  11. ↑ "This is Us- November 2015". 2015-11-11. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  12. 1 2 3 "Painter Adelaide Damoah". whatshotlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  13. ↑ "Bio". 2014-01-05. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  14. ↑ "Adelaide Damoah, the eye opener", News Africa, October 2008, page 5.
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