Painter Michael Clarke graduated from Chelsea College of Art in 2011 and is currently a resident artist at Birmingham’s Digbeth Art Space.
The subjects in this series of paintings entitled “DAMBALA” are Michaels’s envisioned faces of the lost lineage of the Caribbean people, pre and post-British colonialism.
Michael comments “Through all the many horrors of slavery, what remained in the captives was oral traditions. Tales of Duppies, Anansi, Loa and Dambala. Many enslaved cried out to Dambala; the sky father and their children would go on to do the same.”
This exhibition explores the human condition for a longing of ethnic descent. Like other contemporary artists, he offers a critical perspective on social, political, and cultural issues, challenging the viewer with his evocative figures and expressions.
Digbeth Arts Space is an Art gallery, shop and market with a community of over 500 creatives. Located in Zellig, Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham.
Developed in 2016 as Digbeth Arts Market, Digbeth Art Space has grown organically since its establishment in 2016, developing into a collective art gallery, shop and market with a loyal community of over 500 creatives.
Digbeth Art Space has a mission to provide unique experiences and spaces to support emerging creatives by giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents without the commercial pressures associated with the funded and private sectors.
The ‘Dambala’ exhibition will be on 12 May to 26 June at Digbeth Arts Space and launches Friday 12th May with a private launch, limited free tickets are available here and is expected to be a valuable addition to the cities current cultural landscape.
