Black History – Then and Now

Writer: by Dr Saër Maty Bâ

Black History Month | Business | Science and technology | Visual Arts | Literature

Visual Arts

Ronald Moody (1900-1984)

Ronald Moody was born in Jamaica into a rich professional family. He became a successful dentist but after seeing the Ancient Egyptian art room at the British Museum 'knew' he wanted to be a sculptor.

He initially experimented with clay but ended up teaching himself to be a wood carver. By the late 1930s Moody had accumulated an impressive portfolio of works and had a solo show in Paris.

This success allowed him to move to Paris, however when Paris became occupied in Word War 2 he had to escape to the UK.His most famous piece is his great female head, Midonz, made in 1937.

Even though Moody exhibited widely in the USA and Europe it took 20 years after his death for his work to be mainstreamed as British Art as opposed to 'ethnic' art.

Chris Ofili at the Tate Gallery in Dec 1998 after winning the 1998 Turner Prize. © Toby Melville/PA

Chris Ofili (1968-)

Chris Ofili was born in Manchester to Yoruba-speaking Nigerian parents. He produces works like Captain Shit Head and the Legend of the Black Stars. He is famed for using elephant dung spheres on canvas to create images which challenge racial and sexual stereotypes in a witty way. In 1997 he was recognised as one of the few British artists of African descent to break through as a member of the Young British Artists.

Ofili has also had numerous solo shows since the early 1990s and he was the first Black artist to win the prestigious Turner Prize in 1998.

Literature >