Black in London 1855

Black In London 1855
Eight Drawings by Gomo George
Trane Studios
964 Bathurst Ave.
Toronto, ON
March 15th to April 30th
6:00 pm to closing

Black in London 1855 came about because of my encounter with a work by Benjamin Drew, an abolitionist who took the time to record the Stories of the people who arrived in Southern Ontario via the Underground Railroad. The drawings are meant as projections of the narratives voiced by African individuals living in London Ontario in 1855.
I have chosen to imagine portraits for the narratives, most of the faces were found in current newspapers, magazines, and books. I juxtapose each narrative with the countenance I found to be compatible with the tone and character of the narrative being represented.
The narratives raise issues faced by African Canadians still today. The people’s stories enlighten us about the living conditions, fortunately positive, that African refugees found here in 1855.

Gomo George Multi-discipline visual artist and writer immigrated to Canada in the mid 1970’s from Dominica. He attained B.F.A. from The University of Manitoba and a M.F.A. from the University of Western Ontario. Gomo has shown his work in group and solo exhibitions in galleries across Canada for more than two decades. Gomo worked as, an educator/art instructor (Red River College 1982-83, University of Western Ontario 1995-7), as a Story teller/Artists in schools and in community settings as a counsellor and program coordinator. Gomo’s awards include grants from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Gomo author/initiator of several developmental projects in the arts, notably curator of landmark exhibition X-Position 1983, the Project “Positive Manoeuvres” a African Canadian visual arts festival, and “The Last Stop” a residency and think tank on the work of African Canadian Artists all are projects bearing the objective of promoting African Canadian Art and Artists. Gomo also founded and directed ColoLux Studios the first and only Alternative Art Gallery run by African Canadian artist, 1984-1987. Gomo’s work is represented in various collections including the Canada Council Art Bank.