Momodou Ceesay (artist)

Momodou Ceesay is a fine artist and writer.^[1] He was born in 1945 in Banjul, the capital of the Gambia.

Early life

His early education was received in Banjul, followed by scholarships and academic studies at Suffield Academy and Wesleyan University, Connecticut (USA). In 1970, he received a Bachelor's Degree with majors in languages and literature.^[2] He continued his studies in France at the University of Poitiers (in Poitiers) and La Sorbonne (in Paris). For his studies of the French language, Ceesay received diplomas from each of these universities.^[2]

Career

After graduation, Ceesay decided to pursue his true passion and he became an artist. Essentially self-taught, he focused on an individualist vision, seen in the uniqueness of his style and use of colors. This trend is seen in his numerous acrylics, watercolors, and serigraphs. In his printmaking, Momodou shuns modern technology, producing small editions by hand, without the aid of a mechanized studio. One of his earlier serigraphs entitled "Evening Works" was selected by UNICEF as one of their 1976 designs. His original works can be found in many public and private collections across the country and abroad.^[2]

"My work . . . seeks to articulate that universal yearning for truth, justice, and equality, common to all peoples and all cultures."^[3]

"I have tried in my own experience to use art in a way that would go beyond just aesthetic concerns."^[4]

"My objective is to take the viewer on a spiritual odyssey that suggests unseen dimensions. A world parallel to a true flight of imagination and belief. and where I quietly listen to the rushing breeze, to give an ear to those who came before me, and whose voices I see and hear, as they beseech me to speak for them." – Momodou Ceesay^[2]

Exhibitions

Solo:

• Goethe Institute, Lagos, Nigeria
• La Gruta Galeria, Bogota, Colombia
• National Museum of History, Teipei, Taiwan
• Theatre National Sorano, Dakar, Senegal
• University of Massachusetts Library, Boston
• Galerija Likovnih Samorastnikov, Trebnje, Slovenia
• Ille-lfe Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Group:

• Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
• ISC Art Gallery, UCLA, Los Angeles
• International Biennial of Color Graphics, Switzerland
• Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles
• Golden State Mutual Insurance Company, Los Angeles
• National Center for Afro-American Artists, Boston
• "Africa Now!", World Bank, Washington, DC (2007–09)^[5]
• "Voices of Courage", Freedom To Create Prize Exhibition (2010) ^[6]
• Mojo Gallery, Dubai (2011): "As It Is! Contemporary Art from Africa & the Diaspora" ^[2]

Collections

Private, Corporate & Museum Collections:

• President's Office, Banjul, the Gambia
• Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, former Director General, UNESCO, Paris, France
• The New York Hospital, New York City
• The Chase Manhattan Bank, New York City
• First National Bank of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, Los Angeles
• Banco de la República, Bogota, Colombia
• Dallas Public Library, Dallas, Texas
• National Museum of History, Teipei, Taiwan
• National Center of Afro-American Artists, c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• National Library, Banjul, the Gambia
• Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles
• Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Ghana Arts Council, Accra, Ghana

Bibliography

Books and articles about Momodou Ceesay:

• Donahue, Benedict. "The Cultural Arts of Africa", Washington, D.C.: University Press of America, 1979. See page 167.^[7]
• Fosu, Kojo. "20th Century Art of Africa", Zaria: Gasklya Corporation, 1986. Illus. See pages 155–156. (Addit.Ref: Contemporary African Art, 1977)
• Gardella, David. "Momodou Ceesay of the Gambia", African Arts (Los Angeles) 7(4): 40–41, summer 1974. illus.^[8]
• "Massachusetts: African Contemporary Art"; [exhibition, Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, D.C., 30 April – 31 July 1977]. Washington, D.C.: The Gallery, 1977. [31]pp. illus.
• Harper, Mary. "A Distinctive Style", [review of Exhibition of Gambian artist Momodou Ceesay at Safari Afro-Gallery, London (1989)]. West Africa (London) no. 3755: 1314, 7–13 August, 198. illus.^[9]
• Kennedy, Jean. "New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change". Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. illus. See page 94.^[10]

References

1. ↑ Gambian Writers, Wordpress.com. Source: Amazon.com. Posted 28 July 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
2. 1 2 3 4 5 The Mojo Gallery
3. ↑ MomodouCeesay.com
4. ↑ WGBH Educational Foundation/WGBH-TV (1976)
5. ↑ http://go.worldbank.org/OTUMNK93F0
6. ↑ http://www.freedomtocreate.com/momodou-ceesay
7. ↑ "The Cultural Arts of Africa", Benedict Donahue http://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/1431135
8. ↑ "Momodou Ceesay of the Gambia", David Gardella http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:siris_sil_557364
9. ↑ "A Distinctive Style", Mary Harper http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:siris_sil_522649
10. ↑
    • "New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change", Jean Kennedy JSTOR 219581

External links

• Official Website http://www.momodouceesay.com
• WGBH TV/WGBH Educational Foundation (1976) http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/sbro-mla000919-momodou-ceesay-talks-about-the-function-of-an-artist
• The Mojo Gallery http://www.themojogallery.com/asitis/artist-Momodou-Ceesay%20.php
• "Africa Now!" – World Bank http://go.worldbank.org/OTUMNK93F0
• "Voices of Courage" Freedom To Create Prize http://www.freedomtocreate.com
• "The Creative Genius of Momodou Ceesay" http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/the-creative-genius-of-momodou-ceesay-the-renown-gambian-painter