Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art
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Adebisi Fabunmi

Graphic artist, Painter, from Ghana

Adebisi Fabunmi (also known as FAB) was born in Takoradi, Ghana, in 1945. Living near his sister in Oshogbo, he met Duro Ladipo and eventually became an actor in his theater. In 1964 he participated in a workshop organized by Georgina Beier, thus beginning his career as an artist. Since then Fabunmi has exhibited widely and become known for his linocut prints and wool paintings.

Fabunmi has worked in various media and styles. Among his most innovative creations are yarn or wool paintings. Inspired by the work of the Huichol Indians of Mexico, Fabunmi experimented with yarn, developing his own technique of adhering the yarn to a backing of heavy muslin or plywood. As his work progressed, Fabunmi used brighter colors. His subject matter includes themes related to traditional Yoruba life.

Today, Fabunmi works primarily as a printmaker. Famous for his city prints, he divides and subdivides his compositions filling every inch of space with patterns. His prints are like jigsaw puzzles as each black-and-white design element cumulates into a maze of houses, windows, rivers, animals, clocks and trucks. Fabunmi has the ability to juxtapose many elements-some of which are contradictory-into a cohesive whole, enabling the viewer to absorb each work all at once.

(click images below to view artworks)

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