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Jean Samuel - African Artist, Bangor

 

Jean Samuel 

 African Artist, Bangor




“I know I have my own place and my own story to tell.”
– Jean Samuel


Jean Samuel came to Wales in November 2014, to study Banking and Finance at Bangor University. He was initially hoping to pursue a career in Finance, however his passion for art drove him to follow a career as a successful artist. Jean Samuel is an African Painter and paints Afrocentric art. Recently; his art has been changing as his paintings uniquely express his personal encounters with the world.


Wales has greatly facilitated his artistic development and has enriched his work with diversity. He is proud to be able to produce something different and unique. He finds Wales extremely interesting and is planning on staying in Wales for a while. When he eventually returns to Africa, he plans to come and go from Wales. He feels loved and respected by the community in North Wales and feels a strong connection with the land and people here.


On his arrival in Wales, he did not realise that Wales was a separate country from England. He had not realised that Wales had an individual culture, language or autonomy and was intrigued by the unique feel of Wales from the offset. He is determined to teach people of Africa about Wales when he goes home and is committed to bridging a cultural link between both countries. Jean Samuel is very fond of Welsh culture, people and is passionate about educating the people of Wales about African heritage and influences around the world. Welsh landscapes have heavily influenced his work, as he has been able to fuse both African and Welsh influences to create unique artwork.

Jean Samuel is a strong advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement. He has been to many different places and met lots of different people speaking about the importance of the movement in today’s society. He is also the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion officer in Bangor Art Initiative Gallery in North Wales.  As a part of his role, he ensures that people are respected irrespective of their differences and is passionate about letting everyone have the same opportunities. He encourages people to have self-confidence and express themselves. With this, Jean Samuel is also the head of the artist organisation INTERNATIONAL TALENT OUTREACH. The headquarters are in Nigeria, and his role is to help advise artists and support them in developing and expressing their talents. He is responsible for guiding them, motivating them and channelling their aspirations in a positive and encouraging manner.


He is passionate about people express their talents and realise their talents and is keen to help them grow. Alongside his artistic commitments, he is also a creative practitioner in local schools in North Wales. He has already visited schools in Flint, Wrexham and Abergele and hopes to visit many more in the near future to encourage children to be creative with their hands and mind. As a creative practitioner, he promotes diversity in school and helps children to unlock their talents. He tells them stories about Africa to educate and to motivate them. He hopes by doing so he also helps them to realise their luck in living in in the UK.  He encourages them to take advantage of their opportunities in living in such a fortunate country and to concentrate on what they have. He hopes this will fuel their sense of gratitude in living in Wales and unlock their potentials. He is passionate about helping them to become the best versions of themselves.


Originally from a poor background, his dreams have kept him going. He considers himself a work in progress and truly believes that anyone can follow their dreams. Thankful for his experiences, he believes he is truly lucky to meet people and makes the most of his social encounters in North Wales. He recalls that people did not really like or understand his paintings at first. He has to explain to them and had to show people how his artwork is a means of expressing life experiences and emotions. He believes it is unique and special and takes pride in his originality.

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Location: Bangor, North Wales

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