Ghislain Brown-Kossi from Vancouver will have his latest artwork displayed in an exhibit at Trinity Western University to honor Black History Month.
From Feb. 15 to March 26, his piece features symbols that appear from prehistoric times engraved in rock surfaces. Many symbols used in his work have roots in African languages and cultures that pre-date Latin and English.
“My aim is to interact and communicate with people from different cultures through my art, to arouse their curiosity and to encourage them to consider the links we share as humans,” Brown-Kossi said.
By drawing this focus to the African influence in symbolic language and artwork, Brown-Kossi challenges Eurocentric aesthetic and brings attention to formative African contributions to global visual culture.
“I want the audience to look, see, and discover these links for themselves, and to feel the joy of connecting with others through my work,” he said.
Brown-Kossi was born in France with roots in the Ivory Coast. He has pursued painting to portray his own lens of transcultural upbringing and draw together the diverse visual influences from his career in design and fashion.
The exhibit title UMOJABLACK is formed, in part, by the word “umoja” which comes from the Kiswahili language spoken in 14 African countries, and translates to “unity.”
“In a world torn apart by conflict and polarization, my paintings invite viewers to consider what we have in common, beginning with the symbolic language that is commonly shared across a wide range of cultures and geographies,” Brown-Kossi commented.
He is developing an artistic practice he describes as “archaeological pop art,” where he uses ancient symbols and combines pop colours and abstract forms to question the link between cultures.
The exhibit will be in the SAMC Gallery at TWU’s Langley campus, with an opening reception and artist talk on Feb. 15 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Regular hours of the exhibit are below:
- Mondays to Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Fridays, 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sundays, 1:30 to 5 p.m.
“Brown-Kossi’s work speaks powerfully to the questions we are asking as a global Christian university seeking to communicate faithfully across differences. This display shows the power of art to transcend barriers and illustrates how we can forge our identity in a global context,” said Dr. Jennifer Adkins, TWU VP for inclusive excellence.
The Langley campus is located at 22500 University Dr.
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