George Afedzi Hughes

George Afedzi Hughes, is a Ghanaian-born American artist specializing in painting, poetry, and performance art.

Early life and education
George Afedzi Hughes was born on December 23, 1962, in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana to George Hughes, a journalist and public relations officer for the Takoradi City Council, and Cecilia Hughes, a petty trader.

Hughes studied painting at The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, College of Art (1985–1991), earning a BA in Painting and Drawing in 1989 and an MA in Art Education in 1992. Hughes lived in London, England from 1991-1993 and relocated to the United States in 1994, receiving his MFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green Ohio in 2001.



Career
Hughes' paintings and performance artworks have been exhibited internationally across Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. His work references the violence and tragedy of colonialism juxtaposed with contemporary global conflicts. His performance artworks are interdisciplinary, combining ritual, poetry, sound effects, video, and allegorical configurations. Common motifs in his paintings include recontextualized language, commonly seen signs and symbols, nods to pop culture, and references to Hughes' cultural background.



Current and ongoing projects include Hughes' series of painted assemblages, "Puzzle Pieces" and Collisions and his series of video interviews with other artists, Focus.

He is represented by the Skoto Gallery in New York City, NY, Artco Kunstagentur GmbH, in Herzogenrath, Germany, and Artists Alliance Gallery, in Accra, Ghana..

The Burchfield Penney Art Center, the Royal Museum of Ontario, the Harn Museum of Art, the Ghana National Museum, and Iwalewahaus have collected Hughes' work. Hughes has been an Artist in Residence at several schools, art centers, and museums in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

Hughes was an Assistant Professor of Painting for the School of Art at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK, from 2001-2006. He currently resides in Buffalo, NY, where he works for the Art Department at the State University of New York at Buffalo as the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Program Head of Painting, and Associate Professor.