Conrad Egyir

Addressing contemporary American culture, biblical parables and Ashanti iconography from his native Ghana, Egyir’s work explores questions of ethics, honesty, identity, and the social-psychology of community. Monumental, uncanny, and often satirically grandiose, the paintings combine the graphic sensuality of Pop Art with the far-reaching narratives of history painting.

Egyir’s materials include oil, acrylic, glitter, plexiglass, wood, and found fabric flowers. His works are deeply art historical, often making explicit reference to specific works by Kerry James Marshall, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, and Kara Walker. They are also in dialogue with diverse forms of popular culture, whether they are religious, musical, or animated.

Conrad Egyir has an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work has been featured in solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Library Street Collective, Detroit, and Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco. Group shows include the Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI) and Grand Rapids Art Museum (MI). Paintings have been acquired by the Rennie Collection (Vancouver, BC), the Jimenez-Colon Collection (Puerto Rico), and the Cranbrook Art Museum (MI).

Courtesy of Art+Culture Projects