Tam Joseph (born 1947) is a

Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

-born British painter, formerly known as Tom Joseph. Described as "a uniquely talented, multidimensional artist" by art historian Eddie Chambers, "Tam Joseph has contributed a number of memorable paintings that locate themselves at the centre of socio-political commentary, often making work that shocks as it amuses, amuses as it shocks. Typical in this regard are paintings for which Joseph is universally loved and respected, such as 'Spirit of the Carnival' and 'UK School Report'."Eddie Chambers
"Tam Joseph - This is History"
(1998); text from accompanying catalogue.

Biography

Born in the

Commonwealth of Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

, Joseph came at the age of eight to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, where he still lives and works. He has been quoted as saying: "I am

Windrush Windrush may refer to: Places in England * Windrush Square, precinct in south London * River Windrush, a river in Gloucestershire * Windrush, Gloucestershire, a village in Gloucestershire ** RAF Windrush, a Royal Air Force station in World War II ...

.... I didn't experience growing up as a Black child in England." In 1967, he studied at the

Central School of Art and Design The Central School of Art and Design was a school of fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School of Arts and Crafts. ...

, following this with a BA course at the

Slade School of Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. He worked on '' Yellow Submarine'', the 1968 animated film featuring

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. He travelled in Europe and the Far East during the 1970s, and subsequently enrolled at the

London College of Printing The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. Its origins are in education for the printing and retail industries; it now specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation ...

, graduating with a Dip AD in Typographic design. While working for the magazine ''Africa Journal'' in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he also travelled extensively in Africa. In 1979, he illustrated

Buchi Emecheta Buchi Emecheta (born Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta; 21 July 1944 – 25 January 2017) was a Nigerian writer who was the author of novels, plays, autobiography, and children's books. She first received notable critical attention for her 1974 novel ...

's children's book ''Titch the Cat'', published by

Allison and Busby Allison & Busby (A & B) is a publishing house based in London established by Clive Allison and Margaret Busby in 1967. The company has built up a reputation as a leading independent publisher. Background Launching as a publishing company in May ...

. According to InIVA (the Institute of International Visual Art), "Joseph's work is often figurative and centred on the themes of reality, or rather the surreality, of life in the city." In the documentary film ''Tam Joseph; Work in Progress'', he talks about his start as a painter and how he enjoys using tools he himself has made. This film was made over a period spanning seven years (2011–2017) and includes his work in sculpture, painting and graphic design.Moore, Erik
"Tam Joseph; Work in Progress"
5 December 2019 – via YouTube. He recognises

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

as one of his main references in sculpture and admires how he was capable of looking at things and offering a new interpretation of them. One of Joseph's best known paintings is his 1983 work ''Spirit of the Carnival'' (a reference to the

Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean Carnival event that has taken place in London since 1966

), described by '' Time Out'' as a "jaw-dropping image of a carnival masquerader being kettled by the police". Another notable work, dating from 1983, is ''UK School Report'', which depicts the passage of a Black youth through the British education system in three portraits that are captioned: "Good at sports", "Likes music" and "Needs surveillance". His exhibitions have included: ''Caribbean Art at the Crossroads'',

El Museo del Barrio El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the City ...

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an African-American art museum at 144 West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Founded in 1968, the museum collects, preserves and interprets art created by African A ...

and

Queens Museum The Queens Museum (formerly the Queens Museum of Art) is an art museum and educational center at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Established in 1972, the museum includes the '' Panorama of the City of New ...

, 2012; ''This is History'', Gallery II and touring, 1998; ''Learning to Walk'', Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, and touring; ''Us and Dem'', Storey Institute,

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

, 1994; ''Back to School'',

The Showroom The Showroom is a not-for-profit art gallery in Marylebone, London, which displays site-specific works by emerging artists. The gallery presents four shows each year, a schedule that allows artists the time to develop and realise their work on si ...

, London, 1989; ''Black Art: Plotting the Course'', Oldham Art Gallery and touring, 1988; ''Big Yellow'', Bedford Hill Gallery, 1988; ''Observers are Worried'', Painting and Sculpture,

St Pancras Library Pancras Square Library is in the London Borough of Camden located just off the Euston Road in the Kings Cross, London, King's Cross area of the borough. It is situated on the ground floor of Camden London Borough Council, Camden Council's Town Hal ...

and

Shaw Theatre The Shaw Theatre is a theatre in Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is a part of the Pullman London St Pancras hotel, located off Euston Road. The Shaw has 446 seats and two large foyers, four large dressing rooms for up to 60 p ...

, London, 1986; ''Monkey Dey Chop, Baboon Dey Cry'',

Barbican Arts Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings an ...

, London, 1984. His work was included in the major group exhibition '' No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990'' at London's

Guildhall Art Gallery The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. The museum is located in the Moorgate area of the City of London. It is a stone building in a semi-Gothic style intended to be sympathetic to the historic Guil ...

(10 July 2015 – 24 January 2016).

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...

's landmark exhibition ''Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now'' (1 December 2021 – 3 April 2022), celebrating 70 years of Caribbean-British art, prominently featured Joseph's work ''Spirit of the Carnival''. The first major book providing an extensive survey of his work, ''Tam Joseph: I Know What I See'', was published in September 2023 by Four Corners Books, featuring an introduction by Eddie Chambers. A review of the monograph states: "As the collected works in the book demonstrate, Joseph finds inspiration in multiple sources — from reflections on his own history and the history of injustices that African Caribbean people in Britain face to cinema, sport, and music. Besides social and political issues, the natural world is also among his chosen subjects, together with the history of painting itself. Knowledgeable about art from the past, Joseph creates pieces that reference historical genres and forms, inviting viewers to consider them anew."

Selected group exhibitions

* 1984: '' Into the Open: New Paintings, Prints and Sculptures by Contemporary Black Artists'',

Mappin Art Gallery Weston Park Museum is a museum in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is one mile west of Sheffield city centre within Weston Park. It is Sheffield's largest museum and is housed in a Grade II* listed building and managed by Museums Sheffie ...

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

–– ''Creation For Liberation 2nd Open Exhibition By Black Artists'', Brixton Art Gallery, London * 1985: ''Blackskin/Bluecoat'', Bluecoat Gallery,

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

(4 April – 4 May 1985) * 1986: ''From Two Worlds'',

Whitechapel Art Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the fir ...

, London (30 July – 7 September 1986) * 1987: ''Double Vision'',

Cartwright Hall Cartwright Hall is the civic art gallery in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, situated about a mile from the city centre in the Manningham district. It was built on the former site of Manningham Hall using a gift of £40,000 donated by Samue ...

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

–– Prema Art Gallery, Gloucestershire, The Old Mill,

Uley Uley is a village and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Elcombe and Shadwell and Bencombe, all to the south of the village of Uley, and the hamlet of Crawley to the north. The village ...

* 1988: ''Black Art: Plotting the Course'', Oldham Art Gallery –– ''The Artist Abroad'', Lincolnshire, Usher Gallery * 1990: ''Steel by Design'', Scunthorpe Museum * 1992: ''Blast from the Past'', Glasgow Art Museum ––

The Minories, Colchester The Minories is a Grade II listed building and gardens situated at the east end of High Street in Colchester, Essex, England, near Hollytrees Museum, Hollytrees, Gate House and Colchester Castle. It currently houses The Minories Galleries. Ea ...

* 1993: Greenwich Citizens Art Gallery * 1994: ''Us n' Dem'', Lancaster City Art Galleries * 1995: ''ART'CRA'',

Accra, Ghana Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population ...

––

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as n ...

, London
–– Gallerie de la Salamandre,

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

* 1997: Bradford, Museums and Art Galleries –– Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield * 1998: ''Le Corps Humain'', Gallerie des Arênes, Nîmes * 1999: Tullie House Art Gallery,

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

* 2000: Galerie HD Nick,

Aubais Aubais () is a Communes of France, commune in the Gard Departments of France, department in southern France. The little town is in an about 20 km distance from Nîmes and Aigues-Mortes. The recreation area of La Grande-Motte is reachable a ...

* 2006: Gallerie de L'Ombres, Nîmes * 2007: ''Hawkins & Co'', Elspeth Kyle Gallery, London * 2008: ''Hawkins & Co'', Novas Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool –– ''Crossing the Waters'', Cartwright Hall, Bradford * 2009: The Tavern Gallery,

Meldreth Meldreth is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, located around south-west of Cambridge. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census, the population of the parish was 1,783. History A large Bronze Age hoard was fou ...

, Herts –– Pic n'Mix, Woolworth, Leytonstone High Road, London * 2010: Gallery 101, Mansion House, London * 2012: ''Material Matters EastwingX'',

Courtauld Institute The Courtauld Institute of Art (), commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. The art collection is known particularly for ...

, London –– ''Caribbean: Crossroads of the World'',

Queens Museum of Art The Queens Museum (formerly the Queens Museum of Art) is an art museum and educational center at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Established in 1972, the museum includes the '' Panorama of the City of Ne ...

New York; El Museo, New York;

* 2013: ''50 Years Post-Birmingham'', The Art Gallery:

University of Maryland College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

–– ''Tehran Calling'', London Print Workshop * 2014: ''DAK'ART 2014'',

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

–– Perez Museum of Art, Miami, ''Caribbean: Crossroads of the World''
–– ''Tam Joseph: "Back in School"'', The Reading Room, London
–– ''"Where Do I End and You Begin?"''

Edinburgh Art Festival The Edinburgh Art Festival is an annual visual arts festival, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, during August and coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Fringe festivals. The Art Fes ...

* 2015: '' No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990'',

, London * 2020: ''Evolution - Tam Joseph Paintings'', Felix & Spear Gallery, London * 2021–2022: ''Life Between Islands'',

Biography

Selected group exhibitions

See also

References

External links