Though it sounds heady, Abbensetts approach is something of an antithesis to academia and formalized art conventions. The self-taught artist aims to be intuitive rather than overly calculated in his approach. "My work is not based on any particular conceptual notion or any sort of research or historical sorts of representations," he tells Creators. "It's just based on the idea that I intuitively work with whatever information I have, meaning I pretty much just make up the entirety of my own work."
An Oversimplification Of His Beauty, Kwesi Abbensetts
"In the sense of it being revisionary self-appropriation, it's just related to the fact that my work is not directly using any sort of contemporary art as a reference," he adds. "I'm just looking to create something fresh and new in my own mind, using just the tools I have: photography and painting."
Mask Of My Past Series #1, Kwesi Abbensetts
Using his own mind and intuition as a means of creation ultimately leads to a highly intimate and personal approach, yet still one that touches upon highly relevant ideas to today's cultural landscape. "I usually work through 'blood memory;' my work is usually based on random references I have encountered in my life, and these things all bleed into my work," Abbensetts explains. "More specifically, my work deals with the idea of my identity, self, heritage, lineage, and people. It's ultimately just a representation of that."
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