James Cudjoe
James Cudjoe is one of Ghana's most successful contemporary artists. He has been growing in popularity since the start of his career. Cudjoe was born on September 7, 1971, in Takoradi, Ghana. He graduated from Ghana's private art college Ghanatta in 1996, and has since participated in seven highly successful national group and solo exhibitions. Cudjoe operates his own galleries in Accra and Takoradi, Ghana. James Cudjoe's work draws on images from everyday life. He is known for his cityscapes, which range from vibrant, colorful and energetic (such as "Hot Day (in Osu)", see right ) to calm, placid and subdued (such as "New Beginnings I". He is also known to depict the African market woman, a figure he says represents his own mother, in scenes of labor or rest, such as "Dancer" (see right), or the working woman of "Good Returns III". Fans of his work find these paintings evocative, emotional and relatable. His growing popularity and success in Europe and the United States, as well as many other locations across the globe, is a testament to his skill and importance as an artist. In May 2007, James Cudjoe was featured in an exhibition at  the San Diego Museum of Man, Artists Speak: Contemporary art from Ghana and Zimbabwe. His work is considered to be illustrative of 3rd generation Ghanaian artists, who freely express themselves as artists in a modern world, without succumbing to restrictive notions of African Art. Selected exhibitions. 2004-National Theatre, Accra, Ghana 2003-Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra 2001-LA Palm Beach Hotel 2001-African Beach, Takoradi 2001-Shangrila Hotel 2000-Elmina Beach Resort, Elmina 2000-Art Centre National Exhibition 1998-Golden Tulip 1997-Arama Art Gallery, Accra