Since Otis Quaicoe’s move from Accra, Ghana, to Portland in 2017, his figural paintings have adjusted and shifted in congruence with a heightened cultural awareness of his relocated body. As he looked at Blackness and race in American society from the perspective of an African immigrant, Quaicoe became more interested in depicting the nuances of skin tone that emerge in velvety grayscale.
In common with artists like Robert Pruitt and Amy Sherald, Quaicoe’s models are real people with whom he finds connections. This small body of work reflects Quaicoe’s interest in these individuals through portraits, studying not only the skin but the colors and expressions of identity through clothing. Quaicoe’s paintings offer rich, impasto textures in backgrounds and skies that reflect the stucco walls of traditional Ghanaian homes.
Man in Red Beret and Invisible both reflect the ease of the subjects and the playful fashion expressions while the different contours of the skin provide a sculptural presence. In the untitled drawings of the two women, expression and individuality are illustrated through their dramatic hairstyles. For Quaicoe, Ouncie Mitchell is the artist’s representation of a real and imagined Black cowboy, set against the vast blue where the crown of the cowboy hat nearly fades into the bright sky.
Quaicoe’s portraits do not just invoke identity of the painful bonds tying two continents together, but they simultaneously break down these layers of history and draw us into a more intimate conversation that transcends nationalities and brightens the discourse of the African diaspora experience.
Quaicoe attended the Ghanatta College of Art and Design for Fine Art in Accra, Ghana, with a focus on painting. In his earliest influences, Quaicoe referred to the compositions and styles of hand painted film posters and later developed a stronger interest in photography with an emphasis on portraiture. Quaicoe’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. was presented by Roberts Projects in Los Angeles in 2020. The following year, Quaicoe held an artist residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami followed by a solo exhibition and has continued to exhibit nationally and internationally.
Curated by Grace Kook-Anderson, The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art. Generous donations to the Museum’s Exhibition Series Fund and Artist Fund make exhibitions like these possible.
Otis Quaicoe
Ghanaian, born 1988
Man in Red Beret, 2020
Oil on canvas
Collection of Greg and Cathy Tibbles, L2022.45.1
[Artwork Description: This large oil painting is a vertical three-quarter portrait of a black man in a red beret, seated on a wooden bench against a heavily textured wall with multiple strips of color. The hat is tight against his forehead with the suggestion of closely cropped hair underneath. His face is slightly pear shaped, rounding out to a broader jaw, and his one visible ear sports a gold loop. He wears a tee-shirt of light purple and bluish-grey vertical stripes that slightly undulate, suggesting the shape of his body. A darker purple band encircles the neck. His arms hang at his sides with the elbows slightly bent and his hands are held close to his body, resting on his dark denim pants with his thumbs close together and other fingers barely touching to form a heart shape. He is seated on a brown wood bench that is only partially visible and rests on a wooden floor that angles to the right as if turning a corner. Only one edge and one leg of the bench are visible. The floor meets the wall behind it, which is painted in heavy wavy brushstrokes. Two-thirds of the wall is a pinkish brown tone with a small vertical panel of lavender grey abutting it and smaller white and pale blue strips next to that. In the upper left corner, above the figure, is a small square framed picture that could represent a painting or photograph of two people with one body positioned slightly behind the other. Next to that is a smaller green square with white squiggly lines that could be writing and a white dot or “seal” in the lower right corner of the square, suggesting an official document of some sort. Four leaves are partially visible along the right edge of the frame, suggesting a large house plant just out of sight.]
Otis Quaicoe
Ghanaian, born 1988
Indivisible, 2021
Oil on canvas
Collection of Greg and Cathy Tibbles, L2022.45.2
[Artwork Description: This large vertical oil painting portrays two males against a heavily textured orange and pinkish swirling background. The taller figure on the left is slightly turned and casually leans his right arm on the shoulder of the shorter figure beside him, letting his elbow rest on his friend and his hand dangle with fingers extended. The figure at left wears a black beret with wisps of curly black hair peeking out. He regards the viewer with a serious, direct gaze and a slight pink tone adds detail to the corners of his white eyes that contrast starkly with his black skin and black pupils. His chin rests on a short neck and his bare black chest and arms are covered with an elaborate swirling pattern. Both his left nipple and his navel are highlighted in lighter paint. Below his navel, the pink band of his underwear is visible with a white rectangle in the middle of the band. Turquoise pants hover below the underwear with the waistband, belt loops, and fly detailed in lighter turquoise. A bright yellow patch pokes out of the pocket on the left side. His bare right leg is visible below the edge of his trousers but his left leg is completely covered by the cloth. His left arm is crooked, with only the upper part and hand visible resting above his pocket. Two fingers are splayed out, two are folded under, and the thumb is barely shown. The second figure is similarly portrayed in that he is wearing a beret (blue) with bits of his hair poking out; his chest and arms are bare; and his pants ride low with the top of his underwear visible. Like his friend, his dark ebony skin is patterned with lighter swirly lines and his nipples and navel are prominent. He also has a direct gaze and his head is slightly upturned. His underwear has a dark and light blue with white checked pattern, which is visible above his low-riding chartreuse pants. The pants have a slightly ruffled waist suggesting elastic and are covered with small appliqued cloth daisies. His arms are straight by his sides with his hands clasped below his waist. His dominant hand has a bright bracelet of orange and yellow bands, in contrast to his friend who sports a very subtle black bangle on his left wrist.]
Otis Quaicoe
Ghanaian, born 1988
Ouncie Mitchell, 2021
Oil and fabric applique on canvas
Courtesy of the artist, L2022.46.3
[Artwork Description: This large vertical oil portrait shows the back of a male from just below the waist up, with his head turned in profile to the left. A heavily textured, wavy aqua and white sky provides the background, dominating the upper third of the painting. The figure is centered in the rest of the frame. A large cowboy hat, painted in cream with pinkish tan highlights, is angled on the figure’s head with the top and left side fading into the sky. A flat black area suggests closely cropped hair poking out of the right edge of the hat. The figure’s dark ebony skin is highlighted with white strokes, providing detail in areas like the ear. An arched brow, sloping slightly upturned nose, and a bright white eye with black pupil provide facial details. The figure wears a brightly patterned long-sleeved shirt in turquoise with black lines forming a checkerboard pattern and pink dabs in some squares forming the outline of larger squares. A heavy vest covers most of the figure’s back with vertical bands sectioned off and heavy seams under the yoke. Along the top of the vest are three patches: on the far left is a cloth applique of an eagle with wings formed by an American flag; in the middle is a painted PBR “world finals” patch; and on the left is a less detailed peanut-shaped patch with a black logo on a white background. The top of the figure’s left hand is barely visible with part of a coiled rope shown. Towards the bottom of the vest are two parts of a belt with the right side unraveling and the left portion fastened in a rusting buckle. In the lower part of the painting, blocky pink letters outlined thickly in black trail off the edge of the frame.]
Otis Quaicoe
Ghanaian, born 1988
Untitled, 2020
Oil pastels and oil stick on paper
Courtesy of the artist, L2022.46.1
[Artwork Description: On an unpainted white background, a three-quarter view of a female figure is centered and takes up all but a couple of inches at the top of the frame. The woman, seen from above the waist up, looks directly at the viewer. Jet black skin is highlighted with grey and white patches that give contour to the face. The black pupils of the eyes are positioned to the far left with white filling the area to the right. A gold loop pierces the center of the nostrils with full closed lips directly below the nose. A white dot suggests a small round earring in the left ear. The hair is solid black, close around the head, with four knots or buns atop. The outline of each bun is roughly painted with what looks like a nearly dry brush stroke. The figure’s long neck melts into a bright yellow tee-shirt with some orange streaks and a yellow and orange neck band. The shirt peaks out from an unbuttoned dark blue overshirt that has three white buttons and an open collar with lighter blue vertical lines. The shoulder and armhole seams are also detailed though we don’t see the arms or hands of the figure, which is done in oil pastel. ]
Otis Quaicoe
Ghanaian, born 1988
Untitled, 2020
Oil pastels and oil stick on paper
Courtesy of the artist, L2022.46.2
[Artwork Description: This oil pastel of a male from the chest up is on an unpainted white background. The vertical figure takes up the entire frame, moving on the diagonal from the upper right where the figure’s upswept braids come together in a point. Faint black lines on the black braids provide detail and white spaces are visible between the braids. The hairdo sits atop a head that is positioned with a three-quarter view. The left quarter of the face is solid dark black while the remainder of the face has a grey swirling pattern over the black. The face has a strong nose, tightly closed lips, and narrow eyes with delicate eyelashes curling up on the top and bottom of the left eye that is seen in profile. A large gold hoop earring adorns the right ear. The neck is elongated with grey strokes over the black skin. A shirt with no collar or other features fills the bottom part of the portrait and is rendered in a pinkish orange with orange vertical stripes alternating with thinner white lines. The figure’s back looks slightly curved on the right side but there are no other details of the upper body.]