Adebunmi Gbadebo
My work began out of a rejection of traditional art materials because of their association with Whiteness. Art history teaches us that the masters, the best to have ever used paint or those worthy enough to be painted, were white men. Not only did I reject that narrative and its materials, but I also went on to find a material and a history in which to root my own work that positions the people who looked like me as central to my practice.
My material is human hair from people of the African Diaspora. Our hair is so connected to our culture, politics, and history! It is history and DNA. The process of working with hair has allowed me to utilize my community as an integral part of my studio practice. Local barbershops and people’s homes have become my art store. My community helps me create every artwork! Strangers trust me to give a new purpose to their hair. Thus, with honor, the first piece I made was Dada. Twenty feet of locks sprawled up a wall, literally and metaphorically, forces the viewer to look up to black hair. I have sewn hair to canvas and I hand sew most of my work. The needle replaces my brush and instantly, the process became more involved allowing me to pierce through surfaces to insert “nappy” hair. The needle also slows the process and reflects that of a hairdresser or a mother working on her child’s head that rests in between her thighs. I am looking for ways to integrate genealogies of the diaspora with critical discourse through my use of hair!


Production 1 (detail)

Production 1

Production 1 (detail)

True Blue: 18th Hole ll

True Blue: Little Anthony

True Blue: Mildred

True Blue: Patience

True Blue: Simon

the Artist with her works

True Blue: Samuel

True Blue: Tom

Jauquadah

DaDa

DaDa

DaDa (detail)

Magic Johnson has the Cure to AIDS

History Paper 9

Happer's Bazar (History Paper)

Between Us (History Paper)

Fadeyi (HistoryPaper)

Uprooted (History Paper)

History Paper 5

History Paper 24

History Paper 16

History Paper 7
Public Collections:
- Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
- Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN
- Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minneapolis. MN
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
- The Dilemma with Inheritance, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY – 2020
- Uprooted, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ – 2020
- Connected by a Strand, Therese A Maloney Gallery, College of Saint Elizabeth,
Morristown, NJ – 2019 - The Ade Series, Paul Robeson Gallery, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ – 2016
Selected Group Exhibitions:
- Dhaka Art Summit, Seismic Movements, Dhaka Bangladesh 2020
- Mapping Black Identities, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN 2020
- Abstraction in the Black Diaspora, False Flags, Queens NY 2020
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London UK 2019
- UNTITLED, ART Miami Beach, FL 2019
- Between Wisdom & Madness: Works in Sculpture, Index Art Center Newark,
NJ, 2019 - Nice/Nasty, Newark Arts Festival, Newark, NJ, 2018
- Compassion, Morris Arts/ Dodge Foundation, Morris, NJ, 2018
- Same Difference, Miranda Kuo Gallery, New York, NY, 2018
- Intertwined, Chashama Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, 2017
- She Speaks, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ, 2017
- Women in the World, Monmouth University, 2017
- Say Her Name, Newark Open Doors, Newark, NJ, 2016
- BlackLivesMatter, Kean University, Union, NJ, 2016
- SVA Open Studio, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2016
- Surrogate, SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY, 2016
- Cross-Cultural Dialogue, curator Central Academy of Fine Arts China, Jacob Javits Center, New York, NJ, 2016
- 5on5, SVA Open Studio, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2015
- SVA Open Studio, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2015
- Newark Open Doors, Yendor Arts, Newark, NJ, 2015
- Hi-Rez/ Lo Rez, SVA Flatiron Gallery, School of Visual Arts, New York, NJ, 2105
- Stigmata, Yendor Arts, Newark Open Doors, Newark, NJ, 2013
Awards/Grants:
- Vermont Studio Center Artist’s Grant, 2018
- Honorarium, Mother & Muse Talk, Newark Museum, Newark, NJ, 2017
- BFA Fine Arts (Honors), 2016
- Honorarium, Paul Robeson Gallery, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 2016
- SVA Merit Scholarship, School of Visual Arts, New York, NJ, 2013
- SVA Chairman’s Scholarship, School of Visual Arts, New York, N, 2013
- SVA Grant, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2013
Residency/Public Commission/Fellowship:
- Clay Studio, Philadelphia PA 2020
- Wood carving fellowship, Polytechnic University, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019
- Vermont Studio Center Residency, Johnson, Vermont, 2018
- Classical Painting Fellowship, Mario Camano Studio, Madrid, Spain, 2016
- Gateways to Newark Mural, Newark Downtown District, Newark, NJ, 2016
- SVA Bronze Casting, Keating Foundry, Jersey City, NJ, 2016
Talks/Workshops:
- Artists in the Studio, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco CA 2020
- Art and Lunch, Newark Museum of Art, Newark NJ 2020
- Artist Talk, Spence School, New York NY 2020
- Artist in Conversation, College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ, 2019
- “Crown your Head,” workshop, Newark Museum, Newark NJ, 2018
- Mother and Muse talk, Newark Museum, Newark, NJ, 2017
- Ade Series talk, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 2016

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