Raimi Gbadamosi

Raimi Gbadamosi is an artist, writer and curator. He received his Doctorate in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art, London. He is a member of the Interdisciplinary Research Group ‘Afroeuropeans’, University of Leon, Spain, and the ‘Black Body’ group, Goldsmiths College, London. He is on the Editorial board of African Studies, Savvy, and, the boards of Elastic Residence, London, and Relational, Bristol.

Recent national and international shows and events include: Cemetery, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa Futures, Johannesburg, South Africa 2015; Paternité, Saint Denis, Reunion 2015; Banquet, South Hill Park Bracknell, United Kingdom, 2011; Exchange Mechanism, Belfast Exposed, Northern Ireland, 2010; Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Galleri Garaget Sweden, 2009; Solo, CAF, Alexandria, Egypt, 2009; ARCO Madrid 2009; Tentativa De Agotar Un Lugar Africano, CASM, Barcelona 2008; Human Cargo, Plymouth Museum & Art Gallery, Plymouth 2007; Port City, Arnolfini, Bristol 2007. ARCO 2009, Madrid/.

Work media including multiples, music, websites, writing and audience participation. Works creates debate, instead of representing preconceived concerns defined by specific social, cultural and political cant.

Books include: incredulous; ordinary people; extraordinary people; contents; Drink Horizontal; Drink Vertical; The Dreamers’ Perambulator; and four word.

Publication contributions Include: Cemetery, 2015; Representing Enslavement and Abolition on Museums, Routledge 2011; Black British Perspectives, Sable, 2011.

Essays include: What Is This Afroeuropean?; Scuffles in the Cathedral: Of Principalities and Powers, Tate Encounters; Dancing In A Space Provided, Or Running Amok, Tate Liverpool; Imagination Hits Reality: Visualising the Self in Imoinda, Goldsmiths College, London. The Not-So New Europeans, Wasafiri UK and The Delight of Giant-Slayers: Or Can Artists Commit Their Lives to Paper?, ArtMonitor, Sweden.

According to Zoe Li, of Arts Council England, "Raimi's work investigates the complexity of social and cultural politics, often challenging our view on ethnicity, race and culture." Key pieces include "Swadsquad", a three-sided chess board. In 2007 he participated with commissioned artists at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery where he created an alternative tour of the museum entitled Drakes Circus, drawing attention to objects of interest relating to slavery.

Examples of Gbadamosi's work are held in several public art collections, including the Tate Gallery, The British Museum, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds and Novas, Liverpool and the Centre for Contemporary Art, University of Central Lancashire. Gbadamosi has exhibited throughout Britain and internationally.