
GUGSA BLACK ARTS COLLECTIVE
GUGSA BLACK ARTS COLLECTIVE
Never
stop
Creating
Art
Life evolves and expands through creation
Never
stop
Creating
Art
Life evolves and expands through creation
Welcome to
Gugsa Black Arts Collective
Welcome to
Gugsa Black Arts Collective
"Gugsa” is an Ethiopian name meaning “warrior spirit”.
Gugsa possesses a natural gift of being an independent, innovative and fair leader dedicated to exploring ambitious new methods to solve problems.


Our Mission
Our Mission
Participating Artists
Participating Artists
Richard Wilson, Jr.
Richard Wilson, Jr.
Kimmy Cantrell
Kimmy Cantrell
Kimmy Cantrell is a renowned sculptor and visual artist. Kimmy discovered his artistic vision in high school when he fell in love with clay. Rather than pursue art, he studied business at Georgia State University and spent fifteen years in distribution management. In 1999, he quit his job and dedicated himself to art. He sculpts in clay from vases to bowls with faces, and clay pieced collages. The self-taught evolution of his art continues today.
Clifton Henri
Clifton Henri
Clifton Henri is an award-winning photographer and visual artist based in Chicago, Illinois. Clifton is consistently creating new work and exhibits his work across the country. His art has been added to public and private collections across the country. Clifton affectionately describes his art as Film Stills of an ever-evolving narrative in the spirit of nostalgia where personal experiences, insights and cultural stances are reflected. His work is meant to empower and inspire.
One to Watch: Julien Trésor Kandolo (KANDO)
One to Watch: Julien Trésor Kandolo (KANDO)
Kando is an emerging painter and mixed media artist. Kando was born in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He studied at the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa. In 2009, following a few exhibitions at the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa gallery, and at the Centre Culturel Belge Wallonie-Bruxelles à Kinshasa, Kando established himself in Montréal. He completed his studies in Art and Design at UQÀM. Today, he explores pictorial language through fragmented images, combining drawing, painting, and collage; and the notion of the uniqueness of individual identity in the face of collective identity. More information and works by Kando can be found here.


© 2021 Gugsa Black Arts Collective