Atmospheric and emotional

Alfred Amadu Conteh was born on Sept. 24, 1975 in a city of Warner Robins in the state of Georgia, USA and grew up in Fort Valley, Georgia. “Fred” as he is affectionately called by family and friends, graduated from Peach County High School in 1993. He went on to attend Hampton University where he earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1997.

Fred Conteh currently maintains his private studio/gallery in Jonesboro, GA. Alfred’s style is entrenched in African-American culture. Conteh fearlessly uses various southern symbols, history, elements, themes, and imagery (slavery, the Civil War, the confederate flag, rural landscapes, etc.) throughout all of his work. Alfred presents the South in a tell-all autobiographical form - an environment he is very proud of but unafraid to show the bad with the good. Using a variety of mediums (oil on wood, oil on canvas, mixed media assemblages, metal sculpture, gum arabic printing, styrofoam), Alfred Conteh’s work is atmospheric and emotional.

The three-dimensional quality frequently represented in Conteh’s assemblages makes his surface more sculptural and enticing. Mr. Conteh’s art mirrors experiences and symbols of everyday life. He aims to appeal to the viewer’s emotions, and wants these emotions to be used as a machine for thought and change. “I pose societal questions to the viewer, and rely on them to formulate their own opinion and answers about the work. When I am asked for my interpretation of a piece, I tell them that their perspective is just as valid as mine. It is the viewer’s responsibility