Trinity Western University is pleased to present Ghislain Brown-Kossi’s new exhibition UMOJABLACK, on display at the SAMC Gallery Feb. 15–Mar. 26, 2024.
The exhibition, organized by the Black History Month Committee in partnership with the School of the Arts, Media + Culture’s department of Art + Design, is part of campus-wide initiatives in honour of Black History Month.
"My aim is to interact and communicate with people from different cultures through my art, to arouse their curiosity and to encourage them to consider the links we share as humans."
Uncovering the formative African contributions to global language and art
Brown-Kossi’s research-intensive art features symbols that appear as early as prehistoric times engraved in rock surfaces. Many of the symbols in his work have roots in African languages and cultures that pre-date Latin and English.
By drawing attention to the often unacknowledged African influences that undergird visual and symbolic language globally, Brown-Kossi challenges Eurocentric aesthetic and symbolic conventions, bringing focus to formative African contributions to global visual culture.
“My aim is to interact and communicate with people from different cultures through my art, to arouse their curiosity and to encourage them to consider the links we share as humans,” Brown-Kossi said. “I want the audience to look, see and discover these links for themselves and to feel the joy of connecting with others through my work.”
Art that transcends cultural barriers
Born in France with roots in the Ivory Coast and currently living in Vancouver, Canada, Brown-Kossi grapples with the potential for painting to transcend linguistic and cultural barriers. Through the lens of his own transcultural upbringing, Brown-Kossi’s paintings draw together diverse visual influences from his career in design and fashion, the visual language of pop art and hard-edge abstraction, and suggestions of geography and mapping. A grid of raised symbols overlay each of Brown-Kossi’s graphic paintings. Some recognizable, others obscure, these symbols form a familiar, but indecipherable language.
“In a world torn apart by conflict and polarization, my paintings invite viewers to consider what we have in common, beginning with the symbolic language that is commonly shared across a wide range of cultures and geographies."
Commonality across geographies
Brown-Kossi explains that the exhibition’s title UMOJABLACK is formed in part by “the word ‘umoja,’ which comes from the Kiswahili language that is spoken in fourteen different African countries, and translates as 'unity.'"
“In a world torn apart by conflict and polarization, my paintings invite viewers to consider what we have in common, beginning with the symbolic language that is commonly shared across a wide range of cultures and geographies,” Brown-Kossi said.
Dr. Jennifer Adkins, Trinity Western’s vice president for inclusive excellence, says the exhibition is an expression of TWU’s commitment to promoting cultural and intellectual diversity as it continues to welcome an increasing number of students, faculty and staff from around the world.
“Celebrating Black History Month through this inspiring art exhibition is just one of the many ways we are creating an inclusive cultural space at Trinity Western University so everyone can experience a sense of belonging, regardless of their cultural backgrounds,” Adkins said. “We believe this display will resonate with audiences by foregrounding the significance of African art and its original contributions to our global culture.”
Supporting a global vision
SAMC Gallery coordinator and art instructor, Alysha Creighton, said the School of the Arts, Media + Culture is excited to contribute to Trinity Western’s global vision.
“Brown-Kossi’s work speaks powerfully to the questions we are asking as a global Christian university seeking to communicate faithfully across differences,” said Creighton. “This display shows the power of art to transcend barriers and illustrates how we can forge our identity in a global context.”
Exhibition details
UMOJABLACK runs from Feb.15–Mar. 26 at the SAMC Gallery on TWU’s Langley campus. The exhibition and events are free and open to the public.
- Opening Reception + Artist Talk: Feb. 15, 3–4:30 p.m.
- SAMC Gallery location and opening hours are available here.
About the artist
Ghislain Brown-Kossi is an abstract painter currently living and working in Vancouver, Canada. After several years working in fashion for a French luxury brand, as a stylist for fashion magazines and costumer for cinema, he dedicated himself to art full-time in 2021.
Ghislain Brown-Kossi is developing an artistic practice that he describes as "archaeological pop art." Through the use of ancient symbols steeped in our contemporary societies, which he combines with pop colors and abstract forms, the artist questions the links between different cultures. He seeks to convey a message of unity and solidarity, inspiring the viewer to understand and experience other cultures, and to reach out to others.
Ghislain Brown-Kossi stages symbols with clean lines and diverse origins such as traditional African symbols and ancient hieroglyphics. He explores archaeological sites to update our understanding of these civilizations—whose symbols are omnipresent in contemporary culture—and to remind our societies of their most ancient origins.
Brown-Kossi's work has been shown in the U.S., Canada, Ivory Coast, and U.K. His artworks are in private collections around the world. He recently had a work selected as part of the Art in Embassies program, an office within the U.S. Department of State that promotes cultural diplomacy through exhibitions and permanent collections.
About the SAMC Gallery
The SAMC Gallery was founded in 2017 and is the main exhibition space for the department of Art + Design at Trinity Western University’s School of the Arts, Media + Culture. It hosts exhibitions of two professional artists and designers per year as well as two student exhibitions. The gallery is an important pedagogical space for the department of Art + Design, exposing students to diverse professional art practices while also serving the wider campus community and the Langley public. The gallery is located in the Norma Marion Alloway Library building, directly adjacent to the Learning Commons, positioning it as an important learning space for the entire campus community.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.