Ghislain Brown-Kossi
Believe is a new series of paintings by Vancouver-based artist Ghislain Brown-Kossi. Otherness, the artist’s leitmotif, is what Brown-Kossi believes unites all of humanity and is a reoccurring theme in his work. In other words, he feels our uniqueness is what we all have in common, as explained in Ubuntu’s humanism of “I am, because we are”.
In Believe, Brown-Kossi reactivates the ancestral symbols that he is known for using. Inspired by various geographical locations and cultural groups, the symbols are reworked and given new context. Manipulating them in this way, the artist’s intention is to free them from the temporal, spatial, cultural and religious constraints and attachments that may exist, immersing the viewer into a new visual language. The unique colour combinations and built-up symbols made of plaster reinforce the idea of ‘artist as architect’ of an imaginary new world that is united through communication. The fluid, circular shapes and pop colours are both references to his African heritage whereas the opposing straight lines and muted tones are references to what is more commonly seen in Western cultures, both of which are important to the artist. Rooted in art history, his other references include the compositions and colours of Wassily Kandinsky, Ellsworth Kelly, KAWS, Supreme and Takashi Murakami. Historical references such as ancient architecture and bas-relief carving are also signaled in his texture and built up use of plaster.
Recent Artwork
Artist Information
Artist Website: https://www.ghislainbrownkossi.com/
Born and raised in Lyon, France, Brown-Kossi experienced great diversity throughout his childhood and schooling. His family’s heritage from the Ivory Coast and Ghana further provides the artist a background full of dialects and mixed language history. Presenting his first photographic exhibition in an apartment in Paris, he has since had many exhibitions in France, England and Canada. Currently living and working in Vancouver, BC, Brown-Kossi’s art is featured in Art Hole Magazine 2021, London, UK, in group exhibitions Art Rich2021 at the Richmond, BC Arts Coalition, the Evergreen Gallery, Coquitlam, BC and is part of a 4 person exhibit at The Gibson Art Gallery in 2022, curated by France Trepainier. He is also a member of several Professional art associations. Brown-Kossi's first solo exhibition with Jennifer Kostuik Gallery was in March 2022.
Ghislain Brown-Kossi
Residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
Born: Lyon, France
Education
2020 Art Theory, MoMA, NYC, online
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 Artifact,Dal Schindell Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2022 Believe, Kostuik Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2021 Are We Still Together, Port Moody Arts Center, Port Moody, BC
2019 Mindset, Alliance francaise de Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 Splash,Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2022 25thAnniversary Group Exhibition, Kostuik Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2022 Place,Gibson Public Art Gallery, Curated by France Trepanier, Sunshine Coast, BC
2022 Emerging,Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
2021 Art Rich, Richmond Arts Coalition, Richmond, BC
2021 Place, Evergreen Gallery, Curated by France Trepanier, Coquitlam, BC
2021 Non-Essentiel, Studio 17, Vancouver, BC
2021 Spotlight,Federation of Canadian Artists, Granville Island, BC
2020 YacYacTacTacA Virtual Show of Artist Multiples, Vancouver, BC
2020 Place, Two Rivers Gallery, Curated by France Trepanier, Prince George, BC
2019 Bastille Day Festival, Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver, BC
2018 Galerie Nomade 1.0, Main Alley Building, Vancouver, BC
2017 Emerging Artists, Roam Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Selected Publication
2020 Art Hole Magazine, Art Hole: 10, London, UK
Professional Associations
Member Canada Council for the Arts
Member Federation of Canadian Artists
Member Le Collectif, French Visual Artists from British Columbia
Member Port Moody Art Centre
Member Seymour Art Gallery
2020 Art Hole Magazine, Art Hole: 10, London, UK