Momodou Ceesay
"I describe my artwork as an exploration of images that inculcate a system of values that are consistent with my culture and heritage. My objective is to take the viewer on a spiritual odyssey that suggests unseen dimensions. A world parallel to a true flight of imagination and belief. and where I quietly listen to the rushing breeze, to give an ear to those who came before me, and whose voices I see and hear, as they beseech me to speak for them.
The story of art and practice of art varies from one school of thought to another. In Africa, it is one of the last remaining refuges for free thinking. As African artists our art work does reflect the richness of our culture; but over and beyond that however, our art also articulates and prospers from  that universal yearning for truth, justice, and equality, common to all peoples and all cultures."
Momodou Ceesay was born in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, in West Africa. His early education was received in Banjul, but in his teens he was granted a number of scholarships to study abroad, at SuffieW Academy and Wesleyan University in Connecticut. In 1970, he received a Bachelor's Degree from that University, majoring in languages and literature. He has also received diplomas from the University de Poitiers in Tours, and La Sorbonne in Paris, in France, for studies of the French language.
After graduation, Momodou decided to pursue is true passion and he became an artist. Essentially self-taught, he focused on a highly individualist vision, seen in the uniqueness of his style and use of colours. This trend is seen in his numerous acrylics, watercolors, and serigraphs. In his printmaking, Momodou shuns modern technology, producing small editions by hand, without the aid of a mechanized studio. One of his earlier serigraphs entitled "Evening Works" was selected by UNICEF as one of their 1976 designs.
Momodou expands his talents in many directions; in textile design, and children's book illustrations. In the United States, his design work has featured on gift items published by the Heritage Collection New York. His original works can be found in many public and private collections across the country and abroad. Johnson Publications, DuPont, National Museum of History/Taiwan, Canterbury Museum/New Zealand, AT&T/New York, Studio Museum in Harlem/New York, Citibank/New York, and the Chase Manhattan Bank, are among the collectors of his work.
Selected Exhibitions & Projects
Solo Exhibitions
| Goethe Institute, Lagos, Nigeria |
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| La Gruta Galeria, Bogota, Colombia |
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| National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan |
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| Theatre National Sorano, Dakar, Senegal |
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| University of Massachusetts Library, Harbor Campus, Boston, | ||
| Massachusetts |
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| Galerija Likovnih Samorastnikov, Trebnje, Slovenla |
Group
| Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, D.C. |
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| Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand |
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| Studio Museum in Harlem, New York |
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ISC Art Gallery, U.C.L A., Los Angeles, California |
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| International Biennial of Color Graphics, Grenchen, Switzerland |
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| Museum of Afro-American Art, Los Angeles, California |
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| Golden State Mutual Insurance Company, Los Angeles, California |
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| National Center d Afro-American Artists, Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Africa-NOW, IMF-World Bank, Washington, DC. |
Museum, Corporate & Private Collections (Selected)
| President's Office, Banjul, The Gambia |
| National Library, Banjul, The Gambia |
| Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles, California |
| Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Ministry of Culture, Dakar, Senegal |
| The New York Hospital, New York, New York |
| Johnson Publications, Chicago, Illinois |
| The Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, New York |
| Dallas Public Library, Dallas, Texas |
| National Museum of History, Teipei, Taiwan |
| First National Bank of Chicago, Chicago, lilinois |
| Golden State Mutual Life insurance Company, Los Angeles, California |
| National Center of Afro-American Artists, C/O Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Banco Republica, Bogota, Colombia |
| Ghana Arts Council, Accra, Ghana |
| IMF-World Bank Art Collection |
| Late Anwar Sadat of Egypt |
| Amadou Mochtar Mbowe, former Director General, UNESCO, Paris, France |
