CV.

George Afedzi-Hughes

gohughes@buffalo.edu

Education

2001

Master of Fine Arts, Painting, Drawing Minor.

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH. USA.

1992

Master of Arts, Art Education.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

1990

Postgraduate Diploma, Art Education.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

1989

Bachelor of Arts, Painting, Drawing Minor.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Solo Exhibitions / Performance Art

2012

Muffled Connections Performing Arts Forum, St Erme, France, Wall installation referenced the emergence of dynamic communication social systems.

2011

Fragments, Buffalo Arts Studio Gallery, Buffalo, NY, USA. Paintings exhibited explore the contingence between violence and reconciliation. Curator: Cori Wolf.

2010

Urban Overtures, Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra, Ghana. Paintings exhibited contemplate the stridence of urbanization through the use of metropolitan iconography. Curator: Theo Adete.

Layers, Skoto Gallery, NYC, NY, USA. Paintings with collage elements combining images from disparate sources in order to address the use of violence by humans to solve geo-political conflicts. Curator: Skoto Aghahowa.

2009

George Afedzi Hughes, Atrium im Bockreiterzentrum, Herzogenrath, Germany. Paintings exhibited referenced power relations and the implied violence within such relations. Curator: Jutta and Joachim Melchers.

Signs & Symbols Collision, The Central University of Nationalities, Beijing, China. The paintings combined imagery from street signs and sociopolitical symbols. Curator: Yao Junjie.

On Guns Redcoats and Everything Else, Influx Contemporary Art Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal. Paintings referenced the violence of colonial history, drawing parallels between that history and contemporary global conflicts. Curator: Nuno Salgueiro-Lobo.

2007

Performance Art:

What you perceive is what you conceive II, Queens University, Belfast, N. Ireland. A performance probing the significance of the irrational in relation to myths that govern our belief systems. Curator: Maruska Svasek.

2006

Paintings, Mainsite Gallery, Norman, OK, USA. The exhibition was in three parts: achromatic paintings exploring procreation, 3D assemblages addressing the plunder of gold resources by colonial regimes and mixed media paintings as a discourse of mortality. Curator: Christian Pitt.

Social Predation, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, NY, USA. Exhibited paintings depicting notions of power relationships and the implied violence within these relationships. Curator: John Massier.

George Hughes: Retrospective Exhibition, Mabee Gerrer Museum of Art, Shawnee, OK, USA. A decade’s (1996-2006) overview of paintings and assemblages. Curator: Jeff Cooper.

Performance Art:

Culture, Identity and Beyond, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. Performance art synthesizing painting, sound, music, poetry and video. Curator: Anna Jager.

2005

Metaphysics, Carter Arts Center Gallery, Kansas City, MO, USA. Exhibited paintings that investigate the nuance of sensation such as doubt, discomfort and despair in our lives. Curator: Bernadette Torres.

Chronic Dreams, Park-Art Gallery, NYC, NY, USA. Exhibition of paintings with imagery reminiscent of colonial history. Curator: Ken Croken.

Skin and Essence, Myers Gallery, Living Arts of Tulsa, OK, USA. Paintings explored the human condition in its mockery of contradictions, stereotypes and errors. Curator: Steve Liggett.

Performance Art:

Dead Man Series, 435 Park Avenue, NY, NY, USA. Performance art in which I played dead on the side of the street, eavesdropping on pedestrian vocal response.

2003

Cosmopolitan, Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra, Ghana. Paintings exhibited captured the subtleties within multicultural environments experienced over ten years of living abroad. Curator Ablade Glover.

2002

Symbols and Metaphors, Mainsite Gallery, Norman, OK, USA. Paintings exhibited drew parallels between the structural qualities of robots, machines and African sculpture. Curator: Tom Torperzer.

2001

Lineage, Livingstone Gallery, The Hague, The Netherlands. Works on paper (blueprints and vellum) exploring human ancestry. Curator: Jeroen Dijkstra.

2000

Von Ghana nach Amerika (From Ghana to America), Galerie Xenios, Frankfurt, Germany. Paintings and collages exploring contemporary urban life using traditional African sculptural proportions.

Contemporary Urban Life, 20 North Gallery, Toledo, OH, USA. Paintings exhibited morphed urban iconography with traditional African sculptures. Curator: Peggy Grant.

Group Exhibitions / Performance Art

2012

Aus Afrika, Galerie Frank Schlag &  Cie, Essen, Germany. Paintings, sculptures and photographs by the following artists: Tété Azankpo, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Saidou Dicko, Godfried Donkor, Sokari Douglas Camp CBE, Romuald Hazoumè, George Afedzi Hughes, Toyin Loye, Owusu-Ankomah, Chéri Samba, Manuela Sambo, Rikki Wemega-Kwawu and Zinkpé.

Moving Into Space: Football and Art in West Africa, National Football Museum, Manchester, England. Contemporary West African artists whose art is inspired by football to explore wider social issues.Curator: Martin Barlow.

2011

Buffalo on the Bowery, Charles Bank Gallery, New York, NY. Sixty-eight artists with local ties donated work to the auction, including Rupp, Gregory Halpern, Amanda Besl, A. J. Fries, Megan Greene, Amy Greenan, George Afedzi Hughes, Julian Montague, Reed Anderson, and Jacob Kassay

Art Lisboa, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal.  Brought together a selection of forty national and international contemporary and modern art galleries, as well as journals and specialized publications.Curator: Ivânia de Mendonça Gallo.

Just One, Artco Gallery, Herzogenrath, Germany. Fifty-three artists exhibited one work each of drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations and photographs. Curator: Joachim Melchers.

Les Fantomes, Jack Bell Gallery, London, England. Featuring painting, photography and sculpture. Curator: Jack Bell.

South is the new North, Influx Contemporary Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal. Group show featuring painting, sculpture, photography and video. Curator: Nuno Salgueiro-Lobo.

2010

Arte Lisboa, Pavilhao do Rio of the Lisbon Congress Center, Lisbon, Portugal. Art fair with forty-one national and international contemporary and modern art galleries. Curator: Ivânia de Mendonça Gallo.

Spirit Tangents, Haliburton Forest Project, Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. Installation conceived as homage to dead trees. Curator: Reinhard Reitzenstein.

100@100: Works of Art by Alumni artists to celebrate BGSU’s Centennial, Bowling Green State University, OH, USA. Twenty-five works by outstanding alumni representing the School’s proudest accomplishments. Curator: Jacqui Nathan.

In & Out of Africa, Henn Art, Galeries Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Exhibition of thirteen artists originally from Africa working both abroad and in Africa exploring varied artistic styles. Curators: Gerry Belinc, Oliver Henn and Joachim Melchers.

Africa 2.0: Is there a Contemporary African Art?, Influx Contemporary Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal. Contemporary work from African artists of the Diaspora. Curator: Nuno Salgueiro-Lobo.

Performance Art:

Rites of Blue Impediment, Haverford College, Black Box Theater, Haverford, PA, USA. A three-day residency organized by Ruti Talmor, Haverford professor and Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow. The performance used ritual, sound, ornate props and supporting cast to address subtle methods used by predominant cultural groups to impede the progression of sub-cultural groups.

2009

Nsoroma, The Dei Center, Accra, Ghana. Exhibition organized by the Dei Centre in memory of the late Professor Joe Nkrumah. Curator: Lyle Ashton.

Homecoming Exhibition, Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra, Ghana. Invitational group exhibition organized for seven leading Ghanaian expatriate artists practicing abroad. Curators: Kojo Fosu and Ablade Glover.

It’s Never Too Late To Become a Man, Coningsby Gallery, London, England. Works of artists across the Continent of Africa. Curator: Joe Pollitt.

Joburg Art Fair, Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa. Art Fair with international galleries representing African artists. Represented by Artco Gallery.

Figure and Form: Explorations of Humanity, M. Rockefeller Arts Center, SUNY at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY, USA. Exhibition offered a range of perspectives on the human condition using the human figure as subject matter. Curator: Tina Hastings.

2008

The St. James’s Auction, Rosebury, La Galleria Pall Mall, London, England. Paintings explored inner-city violence through the use of collage, signs, symbols, text and mixed media. Curator: Marcus Grey.

Dialog, Artco Galerie, Herzogenrath, Germany. An exhibition of works by artists of African and European descent exploring stylistic contrast. Curator: Joachim Melchers.

Performance Art:

Shrines & Masquerades Live: Indifferentia, Commons Gallery, NYU Steinhardt, NYC, NY, USA. Performance art inspired by the African traditions of shrines and masquerades as well as the negotiation of identity in cosmopolitan America.

Monsters of Nature & Design II, Albright Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY. Performance played on the format of a ritual sacrifice in tribal societies with undercurrent themes of colonialism, globalism, transformation, and transcendence. Collaborators: Gary Nickard, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Cartherine Carfagna, Biff Henrich, Scott Ryan, Dave Meinzer, Brian Grunert, Patrick Heyden, Thom Furtado, Daughters of Creative Sound, David A. Moore, Dave Gutierrez, and Jeanette Sperhac

Race Symbiosis, intervened Nuit Blanche, Toronto, Canada. A performance that uses humor to present 'race' in the light of appearances, and that racial interdependence have often been overshadowed by the dialogue on racial differences. Collaboration with Geoff Krawczyk.

Sum-phusis, Black Box Theater, SUNY at Buffalo, NY, USA. Address allegorically the seemingly random effects of natural disasters contrasted with events initiated by human beings. Collaboration with UB Assistant Professor Melanie Aceto, Dance & Theater.

2007

Art Fair 21, Cologne Gladbacher Wall 5, Cologne, Germany. 58 distinguished galleries from 10 countries presented a diverse range of 21st century art. Work exhibited: Gold Coast, a painting that chronicles the colonial history of Ghana.

In and Out of Africa, Museum for Art and Ethnography, Schwaz, Austria. An overview exhibition of four contemporary artists: Sokari Douglas Camp (Nigeria/England), Zinpe (Benin/France), George Hughes (Ghana/USA) and Owusu Ankomah (Ghana/Germany).

2006

Diagne Chanel / George Hughes, (dubbed France meets United States), Artco Gallery, Herzogenrath, Germany. Paintings and drawings exhibited contrasted Diagne Chanel’s (Senegal/France) sociopolitical works with mine (Ghana/USA). Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Becker, former Director of the Ludwig Forum in Aachen, opened the exhibition.

New Paintings, Mainsite Contemporary Gallery, Norman, OK, USA. Exhibited works included new mixed media paintings. Curator: Christian Pitt.

2005

Multiple Oneness, Park-Art Gallery, New York, NY, USA. Group show celebrating stylistic diversity among artists previously shown at the gallery. Curator: Ken Croken.

Performance Art:

Rights of Passage, Myers Gallery, Living Arts of Tulsa, OK, USA. The performance explored the limitations of a boxed-in culture revealed through puppetry, manipulation, mimicry and ritual. Curator: Steve Liggett.

2004

Art, Fred Jones Museum of Art, Norman, OK, USA. Faculty members of The University of Oklahoma Group show. Presented an installation/performance entitled Ego Transformation/Genome Revelation. Curator: Dr. Andrew Phelan.

Transition, Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra Ghana/ LO/FTF, Copenhagen, Denmark. Traveling exhibition of twelve contemporary artists of Ghana whose work serves as a medium to facilitate visions about the future.

2002

Third National Juried Competition, Long Beach Island Foundation of Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ, USA. Juried exhibition of forty-four professional artists. Juror: Maria Christian Vallasenor, Associate Curator, Guggenheim Museum, NY, USA.

2001

De Kleur Van De Liefde is Blauw (The Color of Love is Blue), The Old Flora Theater, The Hague, The Netherlands. The exhibition sought to promote multicultural activities. An exhibition opened by the Ambassador of Ghana, H. E. Mrs. Grace Amponsah-Ababio and the Mayor of the Hague, Mr. W. Deetman.

The Vibrant Art of Ghana, Gemeente Museum, The Hague, The Netherlands. To mark the third centenary of ties between the Netherlands and present-day Ghana, the Gemeente museum launched an exhibition of Ghanaian art. Three artists Philip Kwame Apagya, Francis Provençal and George Hughes represented contemporary Ghanaian art. Curator: Franz Kaiser.

Menschenbilder (People Pictures), Society for Technical Cooperation, Eschborn, Germany. Six artists from partner countries Mexico, Bangladesh, Poland, Ghana, Indonesia and Nigeria show GTZ (Society for Technical Cooperation) estimation, personal views and visions on man.

U vraagt ..Wij draaien?!? (You ask….We twist), Artoteek Zuidoost, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. International group of artist, exhibition juried by Totie Cronin, Sietse van der Hoek, Remy Jungeraman, John Menke, Karin Moor and Mildred Rambhajan.

1998

Painted Gold (Goudkust Geschilderd), Art Museum voor Zuid, Goes, The Netherlands. Kwame Akoto and George Hughes exhibited paintings representing works of two Ghanaian artists. 

Exposite Kuana, Cirkel Galerie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. An exhibition on contemporary Ghanaian art with the works of the following artists: Wiz Kudowor, Amon Kotei, George Hughes, Ablade Glover, E. Krotei Tetteh, Rikki Wemega Kwamu, Tafa Fiadzigbe, Victor Odoi.

Zeitgenossische Kunst aus Ghana (Contemporary Art from Ghana), Galerie Xenios, Frankfurt, Germany. Contemporary art from Ghana showing the diversity of styles by participating artists. Curator: Petra de Jung.  

New Music and Art, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green, OH, USA. Invitational compendium of documentary photographs, paintings, videos and art vehicles manifested through radically embellished and augmented automobiles. Curator: Jacqueline Nathan. 

Toledo Area 78th Annual Exhibition, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH, USA. Juried annual area artists’ exhibition. Work exhibited: Current Affairs, painting triptych addressing political turbulence.

Hedendaagse Schilderkunst uit Ghana (Contemporary Painting from Ghana), Maison Descartes, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  Ten leading Ghanaian artists both home and abroad exhibited their most recent works. Curator: Petra de Jung.

Residencies

2010

Artist in Residence, Haliburton Forest Art Project, Haliburton ON, Canada. Created an installation Spirit Tangents from materials found on site. Curator: Reinhard Reitzenstein.

Artist in Residence, topic: ‘Look Both Ways,’ Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA. Curated by Ruti Talmor, Professor and Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, Haverford College, PA, USA. Performance and slide lecture.

2007

Artist in Residence, topic: ‘Culture, Assimilation and Rejection,’ Queens University, organized by Dr. Maruska Svasek, School of History and Anthropology, Belfast, North Ireland. Art performance and lecture.

2006

Artist in Residence, topic: ‘Culture, Identity and Beyond,’ Invited by Prof. Dr. Susanne Gehrmann, Anna Jager, Sylvia Fiegert, Humboldt University, Department of Asian and African Studies, Berlin, Germany. Painting, performance art, and slide lecture.

Invited Lectures

2010

Guest Speaker, Slide Lecture, Dei Foundation for Contemporary African Art, Accra, Ghana.

Artist Talk, slide lecture.

Visiting Artist, Takoradi Polytechnic, Painting and Sculpture Department. Takoradi, Ghana. Lecture topic:

“Contemporary Art Trends: Lesson for Future African Artists”.

2009

Visiting Artist, Speakers Series, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY, USA.  Lectured on my creative research overview addressing the relationship between painting and performance art.

2007

Visiting Artist, topic: ‘Journey Through Cultures’, Chelsea College of Art and Design, Chelsea, London, England.

2005

Visiting Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University, OH, USA. Slide lecture, critiques and painting demonstration.

2004

Visiting Artist and Instructor, Quartz Mountain, Lone Wolf, OK, USA. Two weeks workshop created for the benefit of High school art instructors.

2002 & 2003

Visiting Artist and Instructor, Quartz Mountain, Lone Wolf, OK, USA.  Two weeks as painting Instructor for 20 exceptional high school students in the State of Oklahoma.

2000

Visiting Artist, Elmhurst Elementary School, Toledo, OH, USA. Workshop for elementary students.

1999

Visiting Artist, Athena Art Society, Toledo, OH, USA. Slide Lecture on drawings and paintings.

1998

Artists Talk “New Music And Art Festival”. Open Forum at Toledo Museum of Art. Panel discussion on art and music with composer John Williams, sculptor David Best and painter. Organized and curated by Jacqui Nathan.

1998

Visiting Artist, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA. Painting demonstration, critique and slide lecture.

 Bibliography

2010

Books:

Helmut, Anheier, and Yudhishthir Raj Isar. Cultural Expression, Creativity & Innovation, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications Ltd, 2010 Pgs 62-77.

Reviews:

Holland, Cotter. “George Afedzi Hughes: Layers“ New York Times 5/18/10.

Pigg, Susan. “The Forest Beyond The Trees” The Star.com 8/13/10.

http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/846587

Catalogs:

Layers solo exhibition catalog with text by Dr. Stefan Eisenhofer (of Staatliches Museum) at Skoto Gallery, Chelsea, NY. 2010.

Urban Overtures solo exhibition catalog with text written by Dr. Nii Bonney Andrews at Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra 2010.

2009

Books:

Jegede, dele. “Painter, Performing Artist, Poet.” Encyclopaedia of African American Art, Westport, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009 Pgs 109-112.

Catalogs:

Fosu, Kojo. “George Hughes”, Homecoming, Accra, Type Company Limited, 2009, Pgs 64-74.

2008

Catalogs:

Sumphusis performance art catalog with text written by me, UB Black Box Theater, Buffalo, 2008

Grey, Marcus. The St James’s Auction, Fine Arts & Sculpture, Rosebury’s, 2008, Pg 122

2007

Books:

Svasek, Maruska. Anthropology, Art and Cultural Production, “Artists on the move: George O. Hughes”, London, Pluto Press, 2007: Pgs116-121.

Catalogs:

Gehlen, Walter, and Andreas Lohaus Art Fair 21, 2007: Pgs 5 and 26.

2006

Reviews:

Chao, Albert. “Overlapping Spaces” Art Voice.12/7-13/06: Pg 21.
Bradenburg, John. “Mixed-media exhibit evokes energy, power” The Oklahoman 5/19/06: Pg 17D.

2005

Reviews:

Bravenman, Rebecca. “George Hughes makes a red contention” The Pitch 12/9/2005: Pg 21
Watts Jr., James D. Tulsa World 5/5/2005.
Martin, Charles. “529 Group Show” Pop 7/1/2005: Pg 13.

Bradenburg, John. “529 group exhibits works in Norman” The Oklahoman 6/17/05: Pg 19D

2004

Reviews:

McBee, Josh. The Norman Transcript 11/28/04: Pg E7.

2002

Reviews:

Siegal, Evon. “Artist shows depth in work” The Norman Oklahoman 3/7/02 Pg 1

Torperzer, Tom. “George Hughes” Galleries magazine Fall Edition 2002. Pg 10
Krug, Christopher. The Oklahoman Daily 9/10/02 Pg 11.
Brandenburg, John. The Daily Oklahoman 9/20/02.
Toperzer, Tom. “George Hughes: Recent Work” Norman Living magazine 9/02. Pg 65 – 67.
Torperzer, Tom. “Mainsite showing Symbols and Metaphors” Pop 9/6/2002 Pg 6.

Kaiser, Franz. “Talking to Painter George Hughes” Gemeente Museum Paper # 3 9/29/2001-1/6/2002 Pgs 1-3.

Radio Interviews

2010

Radio Channel: report RFI, Radio France International (February). 2010

2005

KCUR News, Kansas City, interviewed by Maria Carter. 2005

1992

BBC George Hughes Interview, interviewed by James Sasse (July). 1992

BBC World Service for Africa; Spice Taxi, interviewed by Silvia Smith (July). 1992

Video/TV

Coverage

2010

“Artes e Espectáculos” cultural magazine, TV channel: RTP Africa (April). 2010

“Latitudes” cultural magazine TV channels: RTP Africa (February). 2010

“Nós” cultural magazine dedicated to multiculturalism TV channel: RTP 2 (February).

2006

Tennant, Carolyn, “Artgrease” Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo 2006.

2001

Ross, Doran, “George Hughes” Interview, Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, 2001.

Gallery Representation

2008 - present

Influx Contemporary Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.

2005 - present

Artco Kunstagentur GmbH, Herzogenrath, Germany.

2002 - 2006

Mainsite Art Gallery, Norman, OK, USA.

1999 - 2001

20 North Gallery, Toledo, OH, USA.

1997 - 2001

Frontier Art, The Hague, The Netherlands.

1994 - present

Artists Alliance Gallery, Accra, Ghana.