To call him revolutionary is an understatement. Alfred Conteh is a classically trained artist based in Atlanta. He has practiced his craft for over 20 years, shedding light on the current realities of African American people; by bringing their stories and experiences to the forefront. We had the pleasure of speaking to him about his great work and what’s next.
How and when did you fully embrace art as a chosen field and career path?
I always wanted to pursue art-related things since I was a kid, but I really didn’t take on the fine arts side of it until I was an undergrad. I came in as a graphic design major and I soon realized that it wasn’t for me and chose fine arts going into my sophomore year. It was daunting and it was frightening, but I knew that based on who I am in regards to how I expressed myself freely, that was where I needed to be.
Who and what in life has influenced you and significantly impacted your career?
In regards to being an artist, my parents of course. When it comes to our plight, that is the main reason that I became an artist, coming down from the lineage of black people. I can recall during the course of my life, what was the impetus or reason why I created paintings and drawings. This was since the time that I was a kid. Over the last 20 years, it’s what we have experienced as a group, the injustices that have happened to us systemically. I’ve done many styles, but when it comes to my sculpture work, my assemblage work, drawings, and paintings, yes it is the plight of black folks, the descendants of slaves.
What is your biggest challenge as a visual artist?
When it comes to visual art, most people have the same challenges. One of the biggest ones is the maintenance of that “fire.” At times when it comes to the imagery that you’re putting out, maintaining the same consistent quality can be difficult. Sometimes you get burnt out doing so much work. I’ve had gallery representation, I’ve done numerous solo shows across the country. It can be quite demanding. Not just that, I think that one of the other challenges is visibility. For your work to get out there, people have to see it. You’re not only the producer of the work, but you are also the marketing manager. You are the voice of your work when speaking to galleries and museums, as to how you want your work to be portrayed. That portion is a full-time job in itself. As visual artists, we have to wear many hats. I don’t think that is something that is spoken about too often. However, this pandemic has leveled the playing field for everybody. Those large venues and galleries, they can’t open to the public. But everyone has access to Zoom and Instagram Live. Depending upon the content that you put out there in social media, you have the opportunity to get your work seen on a national or international scale.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on the next arm of the Two Front Series that I’ve been working on for the last 5 years. I’ll be doing a series of drawings. I’ll be working on landscapes. I haven’t done landscapes in drawing form at all, so this is something new for me. Also, I’ll be focusing on black folks, the essential workers. When it comes to the under gurning of what this series is about, “Two Fronts” is about what black folks are fighting against on two fronts: the systemic factor and how that system directly affects our behaviors. We are underserved in so many ways. When it comes to the pandemic, all that we deal with has come front and center.
Despite the fact that we’ve been told to quarantine ourselves, we can’t do that based upon what we have to do to take care of our families and survive. I want to be clear. It is in me to tell it like it is. A lot of artists, for the sake of getting visibility for their own work, don’t want to put themselves out there and get in trouble. That could get their work stymied. So they make it seem that everything is all good out here. They get rewarded for portraying this narrative. No, that’s not how it is. If you travel coast to coast, you’ll see it’s black folks that are getting hit hardest. While I don’t want to target artists that shy away from the truth, I don’t think it’s right to attack artists that depict the truth in their images about African Americans.
For further information please visit https://www.alfredconteh.com/
Featured images
“Atlas” (2020)Acrylic on Canvas 84″ x 77″ x 3″
“Malik and Marquis” (2020) Acrylic and Urethane Plastic on Canvas 84″ x 47.5″ x 3″ Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta Gallery (Chicago)
“Jade” (2020) Acrylic and Urethane Plastic on Canvas 84″ x 47.5″ x 3″ Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta Gallery (Chicago)
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