AUBREY WILLIAMS

Aubrey Williams travelled to London from Guyana in 1952 touring Britain and Europe extensively to examine works of modernist painters admired since he was a child. Throughout the 1950s and '60s Williams developed his art practice, exhibiting in the UK and abroad. He spent time in Italy, France and Germany, and enrolled at St Martin’s School of Art in London. The 1956 and 1959 Tate American Abstract Expressionism exhibitions – particularly works of Pollock, Rothko and Gorky – greatly inspired Williams. During the 1970s and ‘80s Williams’ painted in Jamaica and Florida, able to take advantage of light and environment as they impacted his resulting work.

The early 1980s witnessed Williams’ tour de force: two series both of large-scale paintings: one abstract series expressing his passionate encounter with the music of Dimitri Shostakovich and the other, entitled Olmec-Maya (1981-1984), drawing on his deep knowledge of historic Mesoamerican cultures. October Gallery has represented Williams from its first solo show of his work in 1984. Williams has been exhibited in a wide range of contexts and institutions, including Rasheed Araeen’s The Other Story (1989), the Whitechapel Art Gallery’s major retrospective, and a room display at Tate Britain. In 2010, October Gallery linked with the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool to produce two simultaneous Aubrey Williams exhibitions. In 2014, a symposium on his work was held at Cambridge University with another at October Gallery in 2015, highlighting the fact that his works still resist classification while attracting ever more attention.

With Williams paintings and archives accessible in public collections including Tate Britain, London; Arts Council England; Natural History Museum, London; and Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; the increasing recognition of his unique place in British art history continues to be explored.

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View below for career highlights and works for sale by the artist.

AUBREY WILLIAMS Items From Our Store

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Symphony No 5, opus 47 (Shostakovich), 1981.

Symphony No 10, opus 93 (Shostakovich), 1981.

Symphony No 11, opus 103 (Shostakovich), 1981.

Night and the Olmec (Olmec-Maya and Now), 1983.

Carib Ritual IV, 1973.

Tick Bird (Birds 2), 1979.

Hymn to the Sun VIB (Olmec-Maya and Now), 1984.

Maya Sun III (Olmec-Maya and Now), 1984.

SELECTED WORKS

Quetzalcoatl III (Olmec-Maya and Now), 1984.

Totem, 1988.

Untitled.

Untitled.

Untitled, 1959.

Citadel, 1987.

Untitled, 1987.

Aftermath IV, 1989.

Untitled, 1968.

Untitled, 1971.

AUBREY WILLIAMS

Born in 1926, Georgetown, Guyana. Died in 1990, London, UK.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2018		Aubrey Williams, October Gallery, London, UK
2015		Realm of the Sun, October Gallery, London, UK
2014-18		Faculty of English Library, Churchill College, Cambridge, UK
2013		Aubrey Williams: Shostakovich Symphonies and Quartets, Hales Gallery, London, UK
2010		Aubrey Williams: Now and Coming Time, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK; October Gallery, London, UK
2008		Rotunda Space, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
2007		Goodison Room, Tate Britain, London, UK
2006		October Gallery, London, UK
2004		October Gallery, London, UK
1998		Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK
1996-97		Harlem & Caribbean Cultural Center, New York, USA
1996		Castellani House, Georgetown, Guyana
1995-96		Cosmos Series, October Gallery, London,
1992		Endangered Birds, Henry Sotheran Ltd (fine books & prints), London, UK
1990		Aubrey Williams Celebration, Commonwealth Institute, London, UK A Tribute to Aubrey Williams, Guyana Museum, Georgetown, Guyana A Tribute to Aubrey Williams, Contemporary Art Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
1989		De Graaf Fine Art, Chicago USA October Gallery, London, UK
1988		Contemporary Arts Centre, Kingston, Jamaica Shibuya Tokyo Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
1986/87/88		October Gallery, London, UK
1985		The Olmec-Maya & Now, Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London, UK Goldsmith College Gallery, London, UK Cosmos, Gallery Barrington, Kingston, Jamaica Contemporary Arts Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
1984		October Gallery, London, UK Paintings on the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Royal Festival Hall, London, UK
1981		Commonwealth Institute, London, UK
1976		Gallery Barrington, Kingston, Jamaica
1975		Olympia International Art Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
1974		The Warehouse, Kingston, Jamaica
1973/74		Little Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica
1973		1973 Nicholas Treadwell Gallery, London, UK
1972		Illinois Centre, Chicago, USA Carifesta ’72; Critchlow Labour College, Georgetown, Guyana
1971		Camden Arts Centre, London, UK
1970		John Peartree Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica
1969		Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, UK
1967		Van Mildert College, Durham University, Durham, UK
1965		Commonwealth Institute, London, UK
1964		Forum Galleries, Bristol, UK
1963		Grabowski Gallery, London, UK Gallery 60, Colchester, UK Ritchie Hendricks Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
1961		Richmond Hill Gallery, Richmond, UK Galleria Pater, Milan, Italy
1959		St Catherine’s College, Oxford, UK
1958/59/60		New Vision Centre Gallery, London, UK

Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 - 2022		Art from Britain and the Caribbean, Tate Britain, London, UK
2021		FIAC, Paris, France, online with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA Fragments of Epic Memory, AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario), Ontario, Canada
2020		Atmospheres; Artists of the Transvangarde, October Gallery, London, UK Frieze New York, online with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA Art Basel Miami Beach, with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, Florida, USA Art Basel OVR: 20C, with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA Frieze London, online with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2019		Dream No Small Dream: Celebrating 40 Years of the Transvangarde, October Gallery, London, UK
		Get Up, Stand Up Now, Somerset House, London, UK
2018-19		Speech: Acts: Refection-Imagination-Repetition, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
2017		Summertime, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA EXPO Chicago, Chicago with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2016		No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action, 1960-1990, Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK EXPO Chicago, Chicago with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA The Armory Show, New York, USA with October Gallery, London, UK Aviary, Transition Gallery, London, UK Seattle Art Fair, Seattle with Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2015		Artist and Empire, Tate Britain, London, UK
2014		35 Years of the Transvangarde:Contemporary art from around the planet, October Gallery, London, UK
2012		Masters of the Transvangarde, October Gallery, London, UK
2009		Transvangarde: Leading Contemporary Artists, October Gallery, London, UK
2008		October Gallery Winter Show, October Gallery, London, UK
2005		Intelligence Now!, October Gallery, London
1996/97		Transforming the Crown: Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, USA
1992		Belgrave Gallery, London, UK
1989-90		‘The Other Story – Hayward Gallery, London, UK
1988		Summer Show, October Gallery, London, UK
1987		From the National Gallery, Guyana; Caracas, Venezuela, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Creation for Liberation, Brixton Village, London, UK Art ’87, October Gallery, London, UK
1986		Camden Arts Centre, London, UK Leicestershire Museum & Art Gallery, Northampton, UK Autumn Equinox, October Gallery, London, UK
1985		GLC Brixton Recreation Centre, London, UK Contemporary Arts Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
1982/84		Westbourne Gallery, London, UK
19771977		‘Festac ‘77– Festival of the Arts, Lagos, Nigeria Jamaica House, Kingston, Jamaica
1975/76/77		Gallery Barrington, Kingston, Jamaica
1975/76		Olympia International Arts Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
1971/73/74/77		Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London, UK
1970		Guyana Museum, Georgetown, Guyana
1968		London School of Economics, London, UK City Art Gallery, Bristol UK West Indian Students Centre, London UK House of Commons, London, UK
1967/68		University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
1967		Expo ’67, Montreal, Canada São Paulo Biennale (XI), Brazil Brighton Festival of Arts, Sussex, UK Theatre Royal, Stratford, UK
1966		The Arun Art Centre, Arundel, Sussex, UK
1966-70		Nicholas Treadwell Gallery, London, UK
1965		Arts Council, Karachi, Pakistan Arts Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK Commonwealth Arts Festival, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK University of Glasgow & Commonwealth Arts Festival, Glasgow, Scotland
1964		Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
1962		National College of Art, Dublin, Ireland
1961/62/63/65		Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London, UK
1961		New Vision Centre Gallery, London, UK Galerie Walcheturm, Zürich, Switzerland
1960		David Jones’ Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia Hessenhuis, Antwerp, Belgium Walkers Gallery, London, UK Woodstock Gallery, London, UK Portal Gallery, London, UK Univision Royal Court Grill, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK Grabowski Gallery, London, UK
1958		Galerie Colette Allendy, Paris, France
1954		Archer Gallery, London, UK

Important Purchases, Work in Important Collections

Arts Council of Great Britain, UK
Bank of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica
Booker McConnell Plc, London, UK
Bradford Museums and Galleries, Bradford, UK
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol, UK
British Broadcasting Corporation, London UK
Castellani House, National Collection of Guyana,Georgetown, Guyana
Church House, Kingston, Jamaica
Commonwealth Institute, London, UK
Contemporary Arts Centre, Kingston, Jamaica
Eliot and Rutherford Colleges, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Guyana House of Assembly, Georgetown, Guyana
Jamaica House, Jamaica
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester, UK
National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica
Natural History Museum, London, UK
Marlborough House, London, UK
Milton Keynes Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes, UK
October Gallery, London, UK
Olympia International Art Centre (A D Scott – collector), Kingston, Jamaica
Perez Miami Museum, Miami, USA
Rice Marketing Board of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, UK
Southbank Centre, London, UK
St Catherine’s College, Oxford, UK
Tate Gallery, London, UK
Tuesday Magazine (boardroom), Chicago, USA
University of Hull, Hull, UK
University of the West Indies, Mary Secole Hall Kingston, Jamaica
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
University of York, York, UK
Van Mildert College, Durham University, Durham, UK
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
York City Art Gallery, York, UK

Honours
1986		The Cacique’s Crown of Honour, Guyana
1980		The Cross of Merit of St. Anthony of the Desert
1970		The Golden Arrow of Achievement, Guyana

Awards/Prizes
1980		Acadamia Italia delle Arti e del Lavoro, (Nomination as“Academic of Italy with Gold Medal”)
1979		Real Aula Mallorquesa seu Esquela Miramar
1964		First Commonwealth Biennale of Abstract Art Commonwealth Prize for Painting, London, UK

Murals and Commissions
1980		portrait – His Serene Excellency, Baron Bradford of Kani, London, UK (Commission)
1978		Coral Reef – (private house), Wiltshire, UK (Commission)
		University of Dalhousie, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Commission)
1976		Olympia International Art Centre, Kingston, Jamaica (Commission)
		African Methodist Episcopal Church of Christ Our Redeemer, Kingston, Jamaica
		School of Hope, Kingston, Jamaica (Commission)
		Guyana High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica (Commission)
1970		Timehri, Timehri Airport, Georgetown, Guyana (Commission)
1961		Heraldry at York – City of York Art Gallery (Commission)

Important Gifts
1982		Shostakovich Symphony No 6 – Milton Keynes General Hospital, Milton Keynes, UK
1971		Guyana Myths – Castellani House, Guyana
1966		Apotheosis of Rice – Rice Marketing Board of Guyana
1960		Revolt – Castellani House, Guyana

Film
2016		Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain’s Hidden Art History, presenter Brenda Emmanus; producer/director Alex Harding; a BBC Studios Film (documentary) for BBC Four, 52 mins.
1986		The Mark of the Hand, directed by Imruh Bakari. Colour, 16mm, 52 mins, 25fps. London: Arts Council/Kuumba Productions.
		Works also featured in films, television and still photography

AUBREY WILLIAMS

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SELECTED WORKS

AUBREY WILLIAMS

OCTOBER GALLERY ARTISTS