Ademola Olugebefola is an African American artist who has long been in the forefront of the New York and international art scene

Ademola Olugebefola is an African American artist who has long been in the forefront of the New York and international art scene. Work presented in the links above are sampling of volumes of history produced in the past 35 years.

ART NOW 2000 Ademola Olugebefola's retrospective at the Emerging Collector Gallery traces the development of an artist who for the past decades has been totally committed to his art and community, indeed for the past 40 years.

ART NOW 2000 is an exhibition of mixed media works created in Ademola Olugebefola's Harlem studios which have toured major museums from 1990 to 2000. This exhibition at the Emerging Collector Gallery was sponsored by International Communications Association.

Ademola Olugebefola

The Emerging Collector Gallery is a 15 year old showplace of new and cutting edge art located in the vibrant lower east side of New York City.

Christine Louisy-Daniel
Director/Fire House #5
formally Emerging Collector
307 West 121st St, NY, NY 10027

New York Controller Alan Hevesi (L) presenting commendation to Dr. Ademola at City Hall for his achievement in art, education and community leadership as part of the Caribbean Heritage Celebration held April 2000)

Ademola Olugebefola has exemplified the career of a dedicated American Artist. Honing his vision of his craft. Exploring new ways to reveal his diverse means and forms of expression he follows the path of a number of talented American artists who marked the early decades of the 20th Century

The 1920’s spotlighted the illustrative works of Aaron Douglas with their powerful silhouetted figures his minimalist murals became the language Franca of the Harlem renaissance

The 30's brought to light Jacob Lawrence's brilliant pictorial narratives of southern exodus to northern urban realms The 40's and 50's celebrated Romare Bearden and the elevation of his collages into high art.

Collector in gallery

During the 60's urban riots the death of Martin, Bobby and Malcolm Shaped the minds and hearts of a whole generation of artists. African American artists voiced and reaffirmed their individual identities vehemently and righteously Ademola Olugebefola came of age amidst the Radical reshaping of African-American language into style vision and Expectations.

Connecting spiritually, linguistically and artistically with his African heritage Ademola created a wide range of timeless woodcuts of sculptural imagery inspired by African symbols and iconography, bold graphing lines, imagery suggesting cubism reaffirming the intrinsic force and beauty of African culture.

His return to the sources engenders a search into spirituality which resulted in a series of paintings among them: Sun Ra, an impressive and compelling mixed media painting which honors the phenomenal composer and spiritual band leader.

Well-defined and luminous pyramids in a non-formal background stand out as witnesses of a by gone era: synonymous of the ancients' link to the Spirit.

Ademola's world is vast and varied. His lifelong interest in the performing arts music and dance is translated through a series of large ink and pastel drawings, which capture with a few calligraphic gestural lines the ethereal and fleeting quality of gracious movement. Music is rendered with the same dexterity and sensitivity. There his use of medium broadens - watercolors and mixed media - convey his love of music and communicate the energy emanating from this sensorial art form.

A smiling Christine L. Daniel (writer) Comments on Ademola's "Breaking Bread In Sunlit Space" (background) Mixed Media Painting

Ademola and Emmy Award winner, film & video producer Cliff Frazier chat at opening. Background: Mixed Media work "Sun Ra"

Ademola is an epicurean, his series "Breaking Bread" speaks of the conviviality of social gathering around the table, the sharing of "Our Daily Bread" the pleasures of the palate.

Born in the US Virgin Islands. Ademola communicates his love of tropical West Indian Islands through vibrantly inviting watercolors, land and seascapes rich in fauna and flora.

Ademola, the painter is also an educator, printmaker art director and designer of promotional graphics as well as interior and stage design. His works can be found in many museums as well as a variety of publications and books. Ademola Olugebefola, an artist to closely follow.

Written by Christine Louisy-Daniel
Photographs by Robert Ecksel