The Meeting of Art Cultures

I arrived in London in August, 2005 with my African art tradition and orientation quite different from that of the London orientation I met. I was confused at the beginning of my creative practice as I did not know where to start. I found a way forward through researching theories of post colonialism, identity, creolisation / hybridity, and globalization as well as examining the works of artists selected from two differing cultural backgrounds in
contemporary art.

Theorists relevant for my practice: Jean Bernebe, Patrick Chamoiseau, Raphael Confiant , Aime Cesaire, Edouard Glissant Ferdinand de long, Cesare Poppi, Beck Ulrich, and relevant writers: Okwui Enwezor, Stuart Hall, Juan Flores,
Laurie Ann Farrell and Olu Oguibe.

I focussed on Two British-born artists of African descent, Chris Ofili and Yinka Shonibare, and eleven African artists who have a presence in the United Kingdom. The most important of these to me are El Anatsui, Agbo Folarin,
Ibrahim el Salahi, Uzo Egonu, Salah Hassan, Solomon Wanbgoje and Godfrey Donkor for their evidence of international and ethnic influences.

I undertook research in libraries: Stuart Hall Library at Iniva, The Paul Mellon Centre and University of East London. Further research was carried out at Tate Modern, The Whitechapel and The Gasworks Gallery.
This research I synthesised and transformed through my creative practice, fusing traditional elements of African culture with the contemporary.

The inspiration for this research has been the realisation of my creative potential, through research into the meeting of art cultures, the African art culture and the multiculturalism of London, referencing Creolization as the
creative force.

There is a combination of international and ethnic influences that can be discerned in my work as well as works of other British-born artists of African descent. This blend of internationalism and ethnicity is a distinguishing feature of the work of contemporary African artists exposed to more than two cultures, particularly the multicultural dynamic of contemporary art in London and the
cultural dynamism of contemporary African life.

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