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In 2006, a relatively unknown artist who painted "just for fun" caused controversy with her work depicting iconic British figures like Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher with black faces.
The media frenzy that followed would surely have Enoch Powell turning in his grave - as the right-wing politician was also featured in the collection.
Collectively named Black Brits, the oil paintings outraged members of the public, wowed others, but established Adelaide Damoah, a relative unknown, as one to watch.
Now, as part of a special event organised by Haringey students, the provocative pieces will be on display at the Bernie Grant Art Centre from Monday, alongside her new work, Black Lipstick.
I was a very artistic child, but my parents pushed me towards a more academic career. I took my degree in Applied Biology and did art whenever I could. If I wasn't partying or doing the usual things students do, I was often sketching or painting something.
I landed a job with a leading pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, but in 2000 I was diagnosed with Endometriosis. It was frightening, especially when I realised that infertility was a possibility. After a second operation, I was off work for five months. During that time I was bored and in a lot of physical pain, and I started thinking about my future. At the time I wasn't planning a career in art but I started investing more passion into my artwork. I was simply doing something that could take my mind away from the pain.
Adeliade Damoah is actually incredible, and so is her work. The self taught artist made her debut exhibition 'Black Brits' in 2006 and has now set up her own company - Damoah Arts, which represents independent artists.
Who/what are your influences/inspirations?
I first became passionate about art during my secondary school years when I studied the life and art of Mexican artist Frieda Khalo. Her work was so deeply personal and autobiographical that I could not help but be drawn in and her way of drawing inspiration from her own life was the catalyst that got me moving in the same direction. My work is inspired by my physical and emotional pain, with each painting telling a story. I am also inspired by my own life experiences along with issues which affect the society in which we live.
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Have you ever imagined famous icons such as Winston Churchill, Princess Diana and Kate Moss as black people? Adelaide Damoah did and she created an entire art exhibition based on the concept - the Black Brits. Adelaide talks to Diamond Touch Magazine about endometriosis and the source of her inspiration.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic condition which causes pain, sometimes extreme pain in the womb mostly during and sometimes outside of the menstrual period. It can cause infertility if not found and managed early enough. Current figures from the National Endometriosis Society show that it affects approximately 2 million women in the UK today. Average time to diagnose is 8 years, which means that by the time of diagnosis some women are already experiencing major complications such as infertility.
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Trevor McDonald and Princess Diana, what two things do they both have in common? The answer: they are both British stars whose pictures have been painted by artist Adelaide Damoah. What’s special about these portraits is the fact that Adelaide paints black icons white and white icons black. "I needed to do an exhibition," states the 30 year old. "And I did not think that random faces painted by an unknown self taught artist would attract any interest, and being Black and British, I decided to look at British icons, and what it meant to be an icon in the UK."
"I discussed with close friends what Princess Diana and Naomi Campbell would look like with reversed skin colours and the conversation progressed to whether or not they would still be icons."
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Abode Santaan - Totality of the Universe
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