Katia Cueto Gallery Response

Gallery response:

After visiting the art galleries I learned many things about art. It opened my mind to different ways of art. Social activist is a form of creating art addressing a political or social currency. His work is titled “Neighbors Near and Far” because of his own life experiences growing up in an environment where people are close and are being brought up in similar ways. Ibou Ndoye was born in Africa and was raised by his mother who was a dress maker and his grandmother who worked as a tie dye artist. Growing up watching his mother and grandmother perform their own style of arts inspired him to paint. He began his career in the early 1980’s when the “clean up movement” was in progressed. Due to the movement, Ndoye began painting murals. In the early 1990’s, he began to paint on glass, Ibou started breaking and layering the glass to create new textures and effects. Social activist art allows the artist to portray their feelings towards the issues. Ndonye and Adebunmi both expressed their art to show their cultural backgrounds. Ndonye’s paintings were based on his own cultural background in Africa. He mentioned that he has been painting from as long as he can remember. His paintings consist of oil canvas with used techniques such as old newspapers, house paint, and household items to create very unusual patterns.

Adedunmi Gbadebo is a visual artist who creates sculptures, paintings using human hair sourced from people in Africa.  Her exhibition is called “Uprooted” which went along with the art work. Her artwork was a different kind of art because it was real, it felt real, and it came from a realistic inspired person. Her choices inspired cotton, paint and human hair. Born and raised in New Jersey in an urban area where she gained recognition for her 2015 exhibition. Her art work inspired many discussion on natural hair. She uses her platform to introduce the importance to love your natural features.

I am a huge pro on loving your natural hair and expressing yourself the best way you can. Seeing both art works I felt inspired to learn more about their work and research other artist with different art perspectives. Seeing Ndoye’s exhibition reminded me of my own family and my culture background.

Cover image: Ibou Ndoye, Women Gathering, 2019, mixed media on canvas, 14 x 9 feet.

Adebunmi Gbadebo, History Paper Portrait: Uprooted, 2018, hair made into paper, thread, silk screen, artificial braids. 

 This is a self portrait that I painted the best way I could.This Is an actual photo of me with curly hair and red dress. I wrote 'Love YourSelf'' because while illustrating myself with curly hair I though about Adebunmi and how her artwork allows her to  be her true self. I used water paint, and bright colors because I had fun while painting it and it gave me the chance to relive my childhood.