The Art of Diversity: Spring 2021 Inspirations

Bridgeman Images are proud to work with a diverse range of artists from across the globe.

New artists join us regularly, meaning there is always something completely new to discover without licensing complications. You can even commission artwork from many of our Studio artists, so get in touch today - we love to hear about your projects.

Archibald Motley: Self-Portrait, circa 1920 (oil on canvas), Barbecue (detail), c.1934 (oil on canvas)

 

Archibald Motley Motley’s oeuvre includes colourful portraits of the vibrancy and individuality of the African American community from the Harlem Renaissance period to the Paris Jazz Age. Hailing from the Art Institute of Chicago, Motley used his classic fine arts training to consciously rebel against precision and speak to the social and racial issues he faced as a mixed race man living and working in a predominantly white neighbourhood.

Laura James Born in 1971 in Brooklyn, New York, Laura James is a self-taught painter of Antiguan heritage. James paints religious subjects and visual dramatisations of Biblical stories using iconography found in Ethiopian Christian art. Laura’s work is widely collected, published and exhibited, and she is a member of several art organisations. She is very active in her community and has produced numerous cultural events, art exhibitions and film festivals.

Laura James: Daisy (detail), 2011 (acrylic on canvas), Guardian Angel Halo, 2011 (acrylic on wood)
Osinachi: Trust Doesn't Matter Anymore (detail), 2020, (digital), A Beautiful Storm (detail), 2020 (digital)

 

Osinachi Osinachi (born Prince Jacon Osinachi Igwe, 24 October 1991) is a self-taught digital artist whose work explores personal experiences within a technological environment. Osinachi, who grew up in Aba, Nigeria, produces drawings using Microsoft Word, where he utilises the basic limited design palette of the word processing software to create narrative illustrations. In 2018, he became the first-ever Nigerian artist to showcase artworks at the Ethereal Summit, a conference in New York that seeks to bridge the gap between technology and art through blockchain.

Aaron Bevan Bailey With a background in painting, Illustration and concept art, Aaron brings a distinctively graphic style and confident vision to all of his work. Past clients include Revlon, Vogue, Kit Kat, Oglvy, Saachi & Saachi, Mercedes, Now TV, Discover Dominica and Network Rail, Disney and many more.

Aaron Bevan Bailey: Portrait photograph, Untitled, 2020 (oil and acrylic on panel).
Ken Nwadiogbu: Portrait photograph, The Brother is not Thy Brother Indeed, 2020 (charcoal on paper)

 

Ken Nwadiogbu Ken Nwadiogbu (b. 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) creates innovative conceptual drawings on various surfaces, as he challenges and investigates Black socio-political structures and issues, while engaging in multidisciplinary modes of storytelling. Gender equality, African cultures, and Black power are a few aspects of his current research and artistic practice.
Inspired by issues relating to those around him, he began creating works that reflect the everyday struggles of people like him, with the hopes of making a change in his community.
Diana Gomez Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and developing her visual career in London for the last 17 years, Diana had the great fortune of growing up surrounded by colour and nature in a big developing city. Influenced by great filmmakers and her love for humanity, people, nature, music and narratives, Diana’s beautifully lit and colourful images capture a sense of optimism, power and beauty that portrays her sitters in a confident and engaging way.  Diana Gomez, Colour Explosion, 2014 (photo), Kuoth, 2018 (photo)
Oscar Ortiz: Amancer en Borinquen, 2003 (coloured pencil on paper), Hidalgo Campesino, (oil on canvas)

 

Oscar Ortiz Oscar Ortiz is a New York born Puerto Rican artist that currently lives in a rural suburb of North Carolina. After receiving his first commission, Ortiz knew there was no going back. Several exhibitions and commissions followed the first, and he developed his career into that of a well-respected all around artist that intelligently has carved a niche in the international art market. He has been praised for his mature and controlled tropical colour palette.

Carlton Murrell began exploring his artistic talents by drawing and painting the various lifestyles of his native Barbados. He combines his rich Caribbean heritage with traditional island and urban living to impact upon the viewer a thought provoking visual message. Murrell has more than 15 awards to his credit- among them is the prestigious "Proclamation for Outstanding Contribution to Caribbean American Art" from the American Biographical Institute.

Carlton Murrell: The Marketplace, 1988 (oil on canvas), African Lady, 1988 (oil on canvas)
Emmanuel Amponsah: Leadership in Perspective, 2020 (photography), Blinded In Melanin, 2020 (photography)

 

Emmanuel Amponsah A self-taught and passion-driven Ghanaian based artist with unique interests in photography and art direction. A principal theme is his art is that of a distinct blend of realism, social issues addressing , minimalism and the exhibition of black symbolism. His inspiration is to create awareness and tell the hidden stories about black heritage, melanin appreciation and social issues.

Neals Niat Born in Paris of Cameroonian parents, Neals Niat is a graphic designer, illustrator and architect living in Brussels. His works explore an imagery inspired by his childhood spent between France and Cameroon, the world around him, design and architecture. The main theme of his story telling work is expressed through a movement, a concept of representation, situated between the graphic, sensory and visual space that he calls the "Monochromatic Visual Metaphor".

Neals Niat: Le Njoka, 2019, (digital art), Mapanes Love, 2019-2020, (digital art)
Guler Ates: Golden, 2018 (photo), Monument, 2013 (photo)

 

Güler Ates Born in 1977 in Eastern Turkey, Güler Ates has lived and worked in London for the past 19 years. Currently, she is Digital Print Tutor at the Royal Academy Schools.

Carlos Cruz-Diez was a Venezuelan artist, said by some scholars to have been "one of the greatest artistic innovators of the 20th century." One of Latin America’s greatest postwar artists, he wanted shifting and shimmering colour to be experienced as intensely as cold or heat.

Carlos Cruz-Dies: Portrait photograph, Couleur Additive 76, Paris, 1974 (acrylic on wood)

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Aaaron Bevan Bailey - Interview

Ken Nwadiogbu - Interview

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