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Momodou Ceesay - A Gambian
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Background & Biography:
The internationally renowned and famous Gambian painter and printmaker,
(Modou)
 Modou Ceesay, has been engaged in the
arts for over three decades. He owns and runs an art studio and
gallery called Kyor Art Gallery which is located in his local base at
Bakau, though he has spent many years in the United States
and continues to travel abroad. He lived for a short while
in the Swiss Cottage area of London, UK, back in the late
1980's, with his wife and son, where he produced among other
works 'Genesis' - 1989.
He was born in the Gambia's capital, Banjul, in 1945 where
he also received his early school education.
Ceesay is
a self-taught yet, a talented artist who embarked on his long-burning
passion for painting after receiving a Bachelor's Degree in literature
and languages in 1970 from the Wesleyan University in Connecticut
(USA). It is therefore not surprising to learn that he
is also an accomplished author writing his most recent novel titled
'On My Knees Before These Mighty Heavens' (Walsworth - Pub. 2007). He
has also taught his craft for example as a teaching instructor at the
Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in the US.
 Some of his original
works can be viewed at many prestigious institutions in the US such as at DuPont, AT&T, Citibank & Chase Manhattan to name but a few. Other
works can be found in museums as far away as New Zealand. He
has collaborated with other artists in Gambia over the years for
example with Njogou Touray and the graphic designer Lamin Marennah to
create the Banjul AU Summit's logo which was held in 2006.
He sees his works as an examination of images that instil beliefs
that are in line with his own cultural inheritance and much of his
productions are inspired by
 his own childhood stories he heard while
growing up as a youth in Banjul. His paintings are created using watercolour and
acrylic paint and applied in his own distinct way which clearly shows
his individualistic approach to his subjects.
He believes strongly in promoting the arts to local schoolchildren as
well as displaying the works of other local talent which he selects
for display at his Kyor Gallery. He has also been attendant at the Art Educational & Cultural Trust
Civil Society Forum of the Gambia.
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