241:, which he was able to find in books and through trial and error. Coming to the visual arts comparatively late in life, he deliberately chose not to be trained in western institutions, which he felt could not teach him what he wanted to know, they being too deeply entrenched in their own traditions with little or no understanding or interest in the things that interested him most – the ideas behind the art and culture of
286:
contemporary
African world-view. In today's African artists' work, he argues, we must see the eyes and hands of the contemporary artist, looking anew, through the prism of an African aesthetic, speaking in a new world with the voices of the ancestors, voices for so long silenced; in doing so, their art will offer new generations the opportunity to look again with fresh eyes, to see themselves in new ways.
285:
has brought about deep-rooted spiritual and mental conflicts at the core of the
African, along with the belief that the African is nothing more than "the reflection of a primitive and barbarous mentality". Kelly believes that art has an important role to play in the struggle to define and redefine a
248:
The philosophical aspect of his oeuvre came with his travels through various parts of Africa, exploring the spiritual side of his ancestral home. He believes the intuitive/spiritual aspect of reality that still abounds in Africa was his art school and university. He has also written essays that have
177:
word meaning: "one who creates with the hand"). He is a largely self-taught artist, who has been practising sculpture since 1980. His work is full of the ambivalence he sees in the deep-rooted spiritual and mental conflict between the
African and the European. Fowokan's work is rooted in the
44:
252:
In 2011 Fowokan featured in "Better than Good", an arts education initiative to highlight the achievements of Black artists in
Britain. His work was shown prominently in the exhibition
308:— a sculpture inspired by the story of a settlement of Africans who, across the 18th and 19th centuries, escaped enslavement and lived as a community on the border of
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Kelly sees
African art not as art in the western sense but as creations associated with religion, magic and ritual. The encounter between the
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1010:
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The Nature of the Beast: Cultural
Diversity and the Visual Arts Sector: a study of policies, initiatives and attitudes 1976–2006
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1005:
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1983: Creation for
Liberation: Open Exhibition Contemporary Black Art in Britain, St Matthews Meeting, London
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art of the west. He has also been a jeweller, essayist, poet and musician (a former member of the funk group
950:
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and Dutch Guiana for 90 years, only to be re-captured due to their lack of vigilance. — which, according to
1025:
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Examples of Kelly's work are held in many public and private art collections, including that of the
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Recordings: a select bibliography of contemporary
African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian British art
233:, where he experienced some kind of spiritual transformation or enlightenment. He returned to
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970:
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349:
8:
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392:, Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham. Installation by the OBAALA Arts Cooperative including
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The primary motifs of Kelly's practice are naturalistic portraits, such as his bust of
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1999–2006: Society of
Portrait Sculptors exhibition at The Gallery Cork Street, London
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766:. Institute of International Visual Arts and Chelsea College of Art and Design.
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622:"We are here because you were there: a retrospective of black British art"
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748:"Exhibition Review – Inhuman Traffic: the Business of the Slave Trade"
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333:
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536:"George ‘Fowokan’ Kelly, Icon of the Black British arts movement"
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340:, London. In the mid-1980s, he exhibited in the ground-breaking "
293:. But he also introduces forms that allude to a fascination with
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Three
Brixton Artists: Pearl Alcock, George Kelly, Michael Ross
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812:. London: Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts.
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Becoming Fowokan: The Life and Works of Fowokan George Kelly
916:
Becoming Fowokan:The Life and Works of Fowokan George Kelly
445:
928:
86:
269:, by Margaret Andrews, was published in January 2022.
229:, in the mid-1970s. He had travelled as a musician to
594:, Alex Sampson's Ravensbourne Blog, 13 October 2015.
512:
No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990
358:
Collective. Kelly's work has also been shown at the
255:
No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990
237:
determined to acquire knowledge of the technique of
731:"Art Review: This Realm of Newcomers, This England"
225:He decided to become an artist while on a visit to
450:1991: The Royal Academy of Art Summer Show, London
962:
486:Inhuman Traffic: The Business of the Slave Trade
934:"Artist of the Diaspora - Fowokan George Kelly"
565:Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture
948:"FOWOKAN: A Spiritual & Political Journey"
577:"FOWOKAN: His Spiritual and Political Journey"
375:1982: Brixton Art Gallery inaugural exhibition
214:, he migrated to Britain in 1957 and lived in
753:
344:" series of group exhibitions organised in
316:magazine, "has a beauty that overwhelms".
42:
587:
585:
555:
553:
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173:and exhibits using the name "Fowokan" (a
1036:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom
759:
750:, My London Your London, 7 October 2007.
197:
760:Keen, Melanie; Ward, Elizabeth (1996).
369:
249:been published in books and magazines.
27:Jamaican-born visual artist (born 1943)
14:
963:
943:in "Transforming Conflict" exhibition.
805:
582:
548:
499:, Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool
666:"Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal"
579:, Alexandra Galleries, 19 March 2011.
262:between July 2015 and January 2016.
24:
1011:English people of Jamaican descent
908:
605:"Exhibition Review: No Colour Bar"
545:, Sam Kelly website. February 1998
457:, Jamaican High Commission, London
25:
1047:
976:20th-century British male artists
922:
400:, Shakka Dedi, George Kelly, and
169:-born visual artist who lives in
900:"From Bronze to Gold Exhibition"
856:"George Kelly-Fowokan, Sculptor"
478:of Art Summer Show, London, 1991
18:George "Fowokan" Kelly
1021:Jamaican expatriates in Nigeria
902:, ItzCaribbean, 1 October 2011.
893:
868:
849:
833:
799:
780:
740:
720:
708:
422:, The Black Art Gallery, London
385:, The Black Art Gallery, London
986:Artists from Kingston, Jamaica
981:20th-century British sculptors
684:
658:
633:
614:
597:
570:
529:
504:From Bronze to Gold Exhibition
455:Beyond My Grandfather’s Dreams
319:
13:
1:
523:
390:From Generation to Generation
1006:English contemporary artists
845:. London: 198 Gallery. 1989.
431:, George Kelly, Michael Ross
123:Property of a Gentleman 1807
7:
692:"Hawkins & Co" (review)
563:, in Alison Donnell (ed.),
272:
10:
1052:
567:, Routledge, 2001, p. 117.
352:and his colleagues in the
326:W. E. B. Du Bois Institute
143:W. E. B. Du Bois Institute
592:"Clash Of Cultures (1/2)"
338:National Portrait Gallery
165:(born 1 April 1943) is a
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148:National Portrait Gallery
133:
129:
112:
102:
92:
82:
50:
41:
34:
929:Fowokan official website
861:23 November 2015 at the
806:Hylton, Richard (2007).
792:23 November 2015 at the
787:"Kelly, George Fowokan"
541:5 December 2021 at the
427:Three Brixton Artists:
342:Creation for Liberation
996:British male sculptors
936:, Black History Month.
462:Transforming the Crown
163:George "Fowokan" Kelly
991:Black British artists
559:Margaret T. Andrews,
517:Guildhall Art Gallery
260:Guildhall Art Gallery
198:Background and career
194:in the early 1970s).
953:4 March 2016 at the
941:Portraits of Fowokan
466:Studio Museum Harlem
370:Selected exhibitions
362:, New York, and the
350:Linton Kwesi Johnson
204:Kenness George Kelly
55:Kenness George Kelly
697:11 May 2008 at the
645:Dr Margaret Andrews
611:, 16 November 2015.
603:Annemari de Silva,
413:Royal Festival Hall
348:, South London, by
180:pre-colonial Africa
1026:Jamaican sculptors
914:Margaret Andrews,
876:"Hawkins & Co"
737:, 24 October 1997.
735:The New York Times
717:, Fowokan website.
715:"Curriculum Vitae"
630:, 5 December 2015.
506:, Rich Mix, London
490:The British Museum
330:Harvard University
303:The Lost Queen of
773:978-1-899846-06-1
746:Natalie Bennett,
160:
159:
16:(Redirected from
1043:
1016:Jamaican artists
903:
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890:
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880:Art in Liverpool
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866:
865:, David Michael.
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668:. Archived from
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612:
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497:Hawkins & Co
420:Three Dimensions
299:African Diaspora
186:rather than the
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32:
31:
21:
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1001:English artists
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955:Wayback Machine
925:
918:(January 2022).
911:
909:Further reading
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863:Wayback Machine
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690:Sandra Gibson,
689:
685:
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672:on 23 July 2008
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474:1999–2005: The
442:Havana Biennial
394:David A. Bailey
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978:
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946:Belinda Otas,
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923:External links
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258:, held at the
227:Benin, Nigeria
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178:traditions of
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67:(age 81)
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19:
915:
895:
883:. Retrieved
879:
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835:
823:. Retrieved
808:
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796:, aavad.com.
782:
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755:
742:
734:
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674:. Retrieved
670:the original
660:
648:. Retrieved
644:
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627:New Humanist
625:
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564:
531:
510:
503:
496:
485:
461:
454:
429:Pearl Alcock
426:
419:
409:New Horizons
408:
389:
383:Art in Exile
382:
353:
323:
313:
302:
291:Mary Seacole
288:
276:
266:
264:
253:
251:
247:
224:
220:South London
203:
201:
162:
161:
122:
118:
114:Notable work
65:1 April 1943
29:
971:1943 births
885:22 November
825:22 November
609:SOAS Spirit
435:198 Gallery
402:Keith Piper
398:Sonia Boyce
320:Collections
188:Greco-Roman
119:Say it Loud
97:Self-taught
83:Nationality
965:Categories
650:27 January
524:References
366:, London.
355:Race Today
305:Pernambuco
301:, such as
125:(c. 1996),
61:1943-04-01
641:"Fowokan"
561:"Fowokan"
239:sculpture
135:Patron(s)
107:Sculpture
93:Education
951:Archived
859:Archived
790:Archived
695:Archived
539:Archived
519:, London
492:, London
470:New York
437:, London
415:, London
336:and the
334:Unilever
297:and the
283:European
281:and the
273:Concepts
208:Kingston
202:Born as
167:Jamaican
121:(2001),
72:Kingston
346:Brixton
279:African
231:Nigeria
216:Brixton
212:Jamaica
192:Cymande
171:Britain
87:British
76:Jamaica
36:Fowokan
816:
770:
676:28 May
509:2015:
502:2011:
495:2008:
484:2007:
460:1997:
453:1994:
440:1990:
425:1989:
418:1987:
407:1985:
388:1985:
381:1984:
310:Brazil
295:Africa
243:Africa
235:London
175:Yoruba
703:Nerve
314:Nerve
887:2015
827:2015
814:ISBN
768:ISBN
678:2008
652:2022
446:Cuba
182:and
51:Born
328:at
206:in
967::
878:.
733:,
729:,
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550:^
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222:.
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829:.
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59:(
20:)
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