Contemporary African Art Exhibition Series

SOKARI DOUGLAS CAMP

There has never been any doubt in my mind as to how sculptures and masks... should be presented. I always found it strange to be confronted in a museum with a bodiless mask... pinned to the wall. Where was the rest of it?

-Sokari Douglas Camp, 1999

Sokari Douglas Camp was born in Buguma, Nigeria. She studied at California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland (1979-80), before completing a BA with Honors in Sculpture at the Central School of Art and Design, London (1980-83), and then an MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London (1983-86).

Although Douglas Camp has lived and worked in the U.K. for over twenty-five years, her work, predominately sculpted in steel, is strongly influenced by African culture and inspired by her Kalabari heritage.

She has exhibited internationally and notable solo shows include: Spirits in Steel - The Art of the Kalabari Masquerade at the American Museum of Natural History, New York (1998-9); and Imagined Steel at The Lowry Arts Centre, Manchester, which toured to Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno; Brewery Arts Centre, Cirencester; and Derby Museum and Art Gallery (2002-03).

Douglas Camp's work is to be found in collections around the world including: the American Museum of Natural History, New York; the British Museum, London; Minneapolis Museum of Art, Minneapolis; Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo; and the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.

She has completed numerous commissions and her proposal, NO-O-War No-O-War-R, was shortlisted for Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth. Her 'Living Memorial' to the late Nigerian activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa was unveiled in 2006.

In 2005 Douglas Camp was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

SOLO

   
Relative Pelican: An Installation of Steel Sculptures, Stux Gallery, New York   2010
Pain and Paradise - Stahlskulpturen, Kunstverein, Aalen, Germany Festival Boat Project (Ongoing) in association with the Lowry Centre, Greater Manchester, UK   2009
The Pleasure of Seeing You: Sculpture and Fabric Patterns, Lethaby Gallery CSM, London   2008
Strength of Feeling, New Art Exchange Nottingham, UK   2008
One Day Exhibition: Resistance and Remembrance 1807- 2007, The British Museum, London   2007
The World is Richer, Wallspace, All Hallows on the Hall, London.   2007
Sweeping, Camberwell College of Arts, London   2006
11th Commandment Sculpture Tour, Peckham, Bexley & Enfield   2005
Galerie Peter Herrmann, Berlin, Germany   2004
Imagined Steel, The Lowry Arts Centre, Manchester   2003
Knots of the Human Heart - Morley Gallery, London.   2000
Black History Month- Maritime Museum, London   2000
National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA   1999
Spirits in Steel: The Art of the Kalabari Masquerade- American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA   1998-99
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY   1998
National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA   1997
Steel Stories , Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham   1996
Plays and Display - Museum of Mankind, British Museum, London   1995
Urban Walk - Barbican Centre, London   1994
Peopling of London, Museum of London   1994
Steel Clothes and Ornamentation, Redfern Gallery, London   1993
Urban Women, South Bank Centre, London; Sue Williams, London   1992
Market People, Chelsea Arts Club, London; Pittminster Studio, Taunton   1991
Echoes of the Kalabari - National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA   1989
Alali-Sculpture by Sokari Douglas Camp – Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool;   1988
Sculpture in collaboration with Sekiapu dance troop -Africa Centre, London.   1989
Alali -Touring, October Gallery, London; Ikon Gallery, Birmingham Milton Keynes Exhibition Gallery (86’), Dorman Museum, Middlesborough   1987
Artist of the Day-Angela Flowers, London   1984
Alali (Festival Time) – Africa Centre, London   1982


GROUP

Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College   2011
BM Treasures exhibition, Madrid   2010
Joburg Art Fair, Arthouse Auction House, South Africa   2010
Gaia Auction, Paris, France   2009
Identity and Self-Fashioning 1965-2009, Neuberger Museum of Art   2009
Roots and More: Journey of the Spirit, Africa Museum, Netherlands   2009
A Celebration of British Sculpture, Harold Martin Botanic Garden, University of Leicester   2009
Now we are Ten Campaign for Drawing, KRÉYOL Factory, Parc de la Villette, France, Le Panaf revient Alger,   2009
Islands and their Worlds, Paris, France,   2009
Joburg Art fair, CCA Booth   2009
In the Light of Play, Durban Museum   2009
Black Womanhood, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth New Hampshire,   2008
Design Without End: The Essential Art of African Textiles, Metropolitan Museum of Art   2008
Poetics of cloth: African Textiles/ Recent art, Grey Art Gallery, New York University   2008
Dialogue, ARTCO, Germany, Salon D’ Art Contemporain African Bruxelles   2008
ARESUVA African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Visual Art, Abuja, Nigeria   2008
Remembering Saro-Wiwa: The Living Memorial, Goldsmiths, London,   2007
Alternative Narratives, The Alpha House, London   2007
In and Out of Africa, with ARTCO Galerie, Haus Der Volker (HDV), Austria   2007
Teue Noire, Museum of Maurice Denis, Paris, France   2007
Afrika! Afrika!, Munich, Berlin, Germany   2006
Sokari Douglas Camp | Nicole Guiraud | Marcia Wok Kure | Louzla Darabi   2006
‘Black President, The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio   2005
Ground Force – A Garden for Africa, Endemol UK Production for BBC, British Museums   2005
Music in African Fine Art, Galerie im Waschhaus, Africa Festival Potsdam, Frankfurt, Germany   2005
Insights, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC   2004
Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts, Barbican Art Galleries, London, England   2004
Exhibition of Contemporary African Art, The Bagagehal, Amsterdam   2003
Royal Academy Summer Show 2003   2004
Africa Past Present and Future Westbourne Gallery, London   2003
Small is Beautiful XXI, Flowers Central, London   2003
DAK’ART 2002 la Biennale de l’Art African Contemporain, Senegal.   2002
The Commonwealth 2002 and beyond, Commonwealth Institute, London   2002
Encounters with the Contemporary – Smithsonian National Museum of Art Sainsbury/ African Galleries – The British Museum   2001
The Artist and the City – Centre de Contemporania de Barcelona, Spain   2001
Black History Month - National Maritime Museum, London   2000
Women to Women - University Art Gallery, Indiana State University   2000
Les Champs de la Sculpture No.2 - Champs Elysees, Paris, France   2000
Transatlantic Dialogues, Contemporary Art In and Out of Africa – Auckland   1999
Around and Around Europe, Africa and USA - Peter Herman Gallery, Germany   1998
British Figurative Sculpture pt.2 - Flowers East, London   1998
Forja el Espacia - Centro d’Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria   1998
National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan   1997
Havana Biennale - Havana, Cuba   1997
Die Andere Reise (The Other Journey) - Kunste Hallie Krems, Austria   1996
African Metalwork - Crafts Council   1995
An Inside Story, African Art of our Time :- Setegaya Art Museum, Tokyo   1995
Another Country - Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria   1994
Art for a Fairer World - Oxfam 50th Anniversary Exhibition   1995
Africa Explores - New and renewed forms in 20th Century African Art, New Museum for Contemporary Art, New York, USA   1991-93
The South of the World - Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea, Marsala, Sicily   1991
JAPE (Japanese Association for Promotion of Creative Events) - Tokyo, Japan   1990
Rainforest Festival - The Arts for the Earth Exhibition - Barbican Centre London   1990
Time and Motion - Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle   1989-90
Conceptual Clothing - Ikon Gallery, Birmingham   1987
Palm Trees - West African Music Village, Kew Gardens, London   1987
From Two Worlds - Whitechapel Art Gallery, London   1986
In the Eye of the Sun - Doese Art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand   1986
Five Festival Sculptors - Stoke on Trent Museum & Art Gallery   1986
MA Show - Royal College of Art, London   1986
Visual Aid for Band Aid - Royal Academy of Arts, London   1985
Artist Against Apartheid - Royal Festival Hall, London   1985
Textiles Making and Meaning - Brixton Art Gallery, London   1984
New Contemporaries - ICA, London   1983
Christie’s Inaugural Show   1983


SELECTED COMISSIONS

Potters Field Commission For Southhwark Council London “First Man” Burgess Park Memorial Sculpture. Southwark Council Amrita Court, Urban Solutions, Bermondsey Brewery Arts, Cirencester   ONGOING
Aylesbury New Deal for Communities,Walworth Academy. Love and Live   2008
Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa: The Living Memorial   2006
Banners for Choumert Road, Southwark Council   2005
Sculpture of ‘Feast of Neptune’ for Deutsche Welle, Bonn, Germany   2004
Designing Choumert Market, Bellenden – the Art of Regeneration/ and Southwark Council, Peckham.   2003
Sculpture for Meridian Hotel, Port Harcourt, Nigeria   2002-03
Sculpture for Gallmore Homes, Pioneer Building. St Marys Street   2001
Nando’s Restaurants   1998-04
Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan   19975
Horniman Museum, London, Africa Centrum, Maastricht, Holland   1992
Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester   1987


AWARDS

Vice President Kalabari Union Culture and Heritage Award - 4th Annual Black Business Award 2007   2007
Honorary Fellow of University of the Arts London   2006
Awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)   2005
Finalist, 4th Plinth, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London   2004
Princess of Wales Scholarship and Henry Moore Bursary   1983
Saatchi & Saatchi Award   1982
Amy Sadur Friedlander Prize   1981


RESIDENCIES

Vermont Studio Centre USA   2009
Nottingham Castle Museum, Nottingham Freyerns School, Basildon   1987
Dowse art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Africa Centre, London   1986


COLLECTIONS

British Museum, London    
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, U.K    
Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA    
Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan    
Minneapolis Museum of Art, USA    
Horniman Museum, London    
Glenbow Museum, Canada    
Citibank Corporation    
Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria   2004
American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA   2002-2005
Private Collections in Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and USA.   2002-2005