George Afedzi Hughes, is a Ghanaian-born American artist specializing in painting, poetry, and performance art.
Early life and education
George Afedzi Hughes was born on December 23, 1962, in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana to George Hughes, a journalist and public relations officer for the Takoradi City Council, and Cecilia Hughes, a petty trader.
Hughes studied painting at
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a public University of Ghana that focuses on science and technology. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the public university established in the country, as well a ...
, College of Art (1985–1991), earning a BA in Painting and Drawing in 1989 and an MA in Art Education in 1992. Hughes lived in London, England from 1991-1993 and relocated to the United States in 1994, receiving his MFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green Ohio in 2001.
Career
Hughes' paintings and performance artworks have been exhibited internationally across Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. His work references the violence and tragedy of
colonialism juxtaposed with contemporary global conflicts. His performance artworks are interdisciplinary, combining
ritual, poetry, sound effects, video, and
allegorical configurations. Common motifs in his paintings include recontextualized language, commonly seen signs and symbols, nods to pop culture, and references to Hughes' cultural background.
Current and ongoing projects include Hughes' series of painted assemblages, "Puzzle Pieces" an
Collisionsand his series of video interviews with other artists
Focus
He is represented by the
Skoto Gallery in New York City, NY,
Artco Kunstagentur GmbH, in Herzogenrath, Germany, and
Artists Alliance Gallery, in
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
, Ghan
The
Burchfield Penney Art Center
The Burchfield Penney Art Center, or just the Burchfield Penney, is an arts and educational institution part of Buffalo State College, located adjacent to the main campus in Buffalo, New York, United States. Dedicated to the art and vision of ...
, the
Royal Museum of Ontario, the
Harn Museum of Art The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art is an art museum at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It is in the UF Cultural Plaza area in the southwest part of campus.
The Harn is a 112,800-square-foot-facility, making it one of the largest un ...
, the
Ghana National Museum
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, an ...
, and
Iwalewahaus
Iwalewahaus, University of Bayreuth, is a place for the production and presentation of contemporary art. By doing exhibitions, academic research and teaching, by taking care of the collection and the archive as well as providing residencies for ar ...
have collected Hughes' work. Hughes has been an Artist in Residence at several schools, art centers, and museums in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Hughes was an Assistant Professor of Painting for the School of Art at the
University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK, from 2001-2006. He currently resides in Buffalo, NY, where he works for the Art Department at the
State University of New York at Buffalo as the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Program Head of Painting, and Associate Professor.
References
External links
*http://www.gohughes.com/ Official website
*https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/art/faculty/directory/hughes-george.html
*http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/george-hughes-kwesi-afedzi-,-ghana-b.1962-1-c-bip5uao4fw
*http://visualstudies.buffalo.edu/people/hughes/bio.html
*https://cargocollective.com/artfilemagazine/filter/georgeafedzihughes/George-Afedzi-Hughes
*http://www.artnet.com/artists/lotdetailpage.aspx?lot_id=C17CB54222CE0949C49D442D56923FF5
Bibliography
*Obiago, Sandra Mbanefo (2024), "A King’s Passion: A 21st-Century Patron of African Artists". 5-Continents Editions.
*Prah, Elizabeth, and Akoi-Jackson, Bernard (2024). "New Perspectives: Contemporary Art from Ghana". Nuvo Publishing.
*''New American Paintings'' magazine (8/98) (2012)
*Helmut Anheier, Yudhishthir Raj Isar, "Cultural Expression, Creativity & Innovation" (2010), pp. 62–77
*Holland, Cotter, ''The New York Times'', Museums and Gallery Listings (5/18/10)
*Jegede, Dele, ''Encyclopaedia of African American Art'' (2009), pp. 109–112
*Svasek Maruska (2007). ''Anthropology, Art and Cultural Production'', pp. 116–122. London: Pluto Press.
*Doran Ross (2001). ''African Arts'', Volume 34., pp. 50–57. University of California, Los Angeles. (ISSN 0001-9933)
*Kaiser, Franz, "Museum Paper" (9/29/01). p. 2
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, George Afedzi
1962 births
Living people
Artists from New York (state)
American art educators
Bowling Green State University alumni
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology alumni