Ablade Glover Available work ‘

‘Named as one of the fathers of modern African art by Bonhams .’ Ablade Glover Available work People

“One of the few philosophical areas I sometimes venture into- The people, our people! Who are the people? The faceless masses? The people without power? I have noticed from an early age when the struggle for African independence com- menced, to this day, everybody, uses the “people” or rather “Power of the people”, and then dumps them, powerless there- after. I am intrigued by the innocence, the naivety, the plight of the people without the power. The power lies in the people in electing the elected official. But often is the case, once the official gets elected, the people become powerless.’ – Ablade Glover.

People - G63/17 Oil on canvas 102 x 102 cm (40 x 40 inches) $13, 000 Market

‘Busyness Studies. The dynamism of the market possibly points to the fact that the place is purely a females domain. The movement , unending changing scenarios and the colour, simply fascinating. It is also the place for both the good and the bad. The ‘Kalabule’, the intrigues, seem to colour the atmosphere, and you cannot enter the market and emerge without a “stain” it seems. Yes I try to paint the movement, capture the dynamism, and indeed the colour of the market business with its grey areas, and unending study of busyness’.’ – Ablade Glover.

Market Panorama - B31/16 Oil on canvas 122 x 151 cm (49 x 60 inches) $19, 000 Forest

Forest scapes are a study of the transient nature of the environment, that like the changing scenes of a marketplace, dis- play a fluid motion of light to dark amongst the foliage, and in doing so excite one’s imagination and brings an artist like Ablade Glover to paint.

Red Forest - G64/17 Oil on canvas 101 x 126 cm (40 x 50 inches) $16, 000 Prayerscape

Prayerscapes - The “religiosity” of the culture. The encompassing and overwhelming aspect of Religiosity (of the culture) which exposes the Jekyll & Hyde syndrome of the culture. Prayer time is based on an event in , where the mosque in central was demolished and rebuilt on the city outskirts. During the period of reconstruction, the worshippers would go down to the beach (next to the artist’s studio) during Friday prayers, with the service being led by the local Amam.

Prayers - GLO 130/013 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm (40 x 40 inches) $13, 000 Prayer to Allah - Prof 101/15 Oil on canvas 100 x 75 cm (40 x 30 inches) $9, 500 Troto Station

Hustle and Bustle: the “Troto” (Lorry) Station, very much like the market, exhumes the same hustle and bustle with dancing colour tints and hues. And exhibiting the same transcient and fleeting imagery that offers a lifetime assignment for painterly studies.

Troto Station Scene - Prof 38/14 Oil on canvas 120 x 120 cm (48 x 48 inches) $17, 000 Demonstration

There are surprises, pleasant or unpleasant that one encounters within cultures – many in our contemporary culture. Ablade Glover feels drawn, perhaps unwillingly into this conflict.

Aluta (Sonke) 4 Oil on canvas 100 x 150 cm (40 x 60 inches) $17, 000 Biography

Professor Ablade Glover was born in Accra, Ghana in 1934. While studying at in 1957, his country gained independ- His work can be found in both public and private collections worldwide including the Imperial Palace Collection of Japan, ence from Great Britain. Ghana was the first African country to break away from it’s colonial rulers, setting a precedent at the the UNESCO Headquarters in and ’s O’Hare International Airport amongst others. He has exhibited extensively time. The new government led by Dr. Kwame Nkumah wanted Ghanaians to embrace the local culture of its people, yet at in West Africa, Europe, the USA and Japan. A recipient of the distinguished AFGRAD Alumni Award by the African-American the same time to learn modern western skills. The government encouraged artisans to accept bursaries abroad, in order to Institute in New York, he is also a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Art in London. learn the skills required, which could then be brought back and passed on to the locals.

Glover, then a student at Kumasi accepted a scholarship to study textile design at London’s School of Art and Design. On returning to Ghana, the factory where he was to have worked in designing textiles had not been built, so freeing him, after a two-year contract of teaching, to return to England again. In 1964, he accepted a new scholarship personally authorised by himself, to study at Art Education at the Newcastle University. There after teaching for another period in Ghana, he traveled to the United States to do a Masters degree at before moving onto Ohio University, where in 1974 he was awarded a doctorate. On completion he returned to Ghana where for the next 20 years, he taught fulltime at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi eventually rising to become both the De- partmental Head and College Dean. On retiring in 1994, Glover began painting full time. His other great goal was to open a gallery and training center in Accra, to showcase emerging artists from the African continent. In 1993 he formed the Artist Alliance Gallery. In 2007, using private funds, he built a large three story building overlooking the oceanfront in Accra, where he moved the gallery and training center too. Glover is passionate about his community and country and strongly believes in giving back the skills he has learnt as an artist and a teacher.

Galleries have represented Glover’s work globally since 1962. There is a wonderful sense of vibrancy and texture to his paint- ings. He jokes that he has to buy his paint in bulk because of the huge amounts of oil, he has to apply on the canvas. His work appeals to all the senses through the use “wet into wet” technique and thick application of paint, which produce a very luscious, intense, result. His work are grouped into the following: ‘Profiles’, ‘The People’, ‘Market’, ‘Social Commentary’, ‘Town- scapes’, ‘Forestscapes’, ‘Beachscapes’, ‘Prayerscapes’, ‘Trosto Stations’ and ‘Celebrations’. His use of colour is bright and bold. There is also an element of pointillism in his work, where you have to stand back from the scenes, in order for the shapes, tones and colours, to blend into each other. There is a wonderful looseness to his work, which display the confidence of his style and experience as an artist. Professor Glover’s work portrays the energy and intensity of a young man, who in 2014 is celebrating his 80th birthday. When asked where this passion comes from, he says from his first love, his country and the people of Ghana. Christopher Moller Gallery