George Afedzi Hughes’ work involves painting and performance art, utilizing the turbulence of colonialism as a premise to highlight parallels between that violent history and contemporary global conflicts. His upcoming solo exhibition at the Buffalo Arts Studio reflects the politics of identity through the lens of colonialism and its legacies.

The Politics of Identity will include two separate bodies of work filling both of the Buffalo Arts Studios galleries, featuring some of Hughes’ largest canvases, most of which have not been shown before in Buffalo. The older work emphasizes the tragedy of such history, with paintings that utilize animal/human body parts in addition to sports imagery and military metaphors. In contrast, the newer paintings address recent but seemingly positive roles and identities derived from contact between colonial regimes and developing economies.

Hughes’ project interprets the spectacle of information, knowledge and subjectivity through a systematic yet accessible iconography. In addition, he investigates the residual effects of colonialism by addressing the dialogue between personal and historical narratives.

The Politics of Identity will be on display from January 26 through March 3, 2018, with an opening reception on Friday, January 26, 2018, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, as part of M&T Bank Fourth Fridays at the Tri-Main Center. Hughes will deliver an artist talk at 6:00pm.

George Afedzi Hughes is Associate Professor of Painting at UB. Born in Ghana, Hughes studied painting at The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, College of Art, where he earned a BA in Art and an MA in Art Education. After graduation he spent two years in France and England painting, exhibiting, and visiting museums and galleries. The artworks created during this tour culminated in a major solo exhibition at The Artists Alliance Gallery in Accra, Ghana. Shortly after, Hughes’ settled in the United States where he received an MFA in Painting and Drawing from Bowling Green State University. Since then he has had a worldwide exhibition record and has taught in universities throughout the United States. His paintings, performances, and installations have been shown internationally in Canada, China, Denmark, Dubai, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Holland, Northern Ireland, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Uruguay, Wales and the United States.

Buffalo Arts Studio (BAS) is a not-for-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide affordable studio space and regular public exposure for regional, national, and international artists through exhibitions, and to enrich the community with art classes, mural programs, and public art. Exhibitions, public art projects, and classes help the studio serve as a cultural center. Buffalo Arts Studio is located on the 5th floor of the TriMain building, 2495 Main Street, Suite 500, Buffalo, NY 14214. The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For further information, please contact Shirley Verrico, Curator, at shirley@buffaloartsstudio.org.

BAS receives major support from the Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation, City of Buffalo, Erie County Cultural Funding, The M&T Charitable Foundation, the John R. Oishei Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Ashker's, Marketing Tech and individual donors.