Ben Uri Research Unit

Born: 1954

Other name/s: Melvyn Wellington, Melvyn Mykeal Wellington

Biography

Dub poet, graphic designer, artist, and former Black Panther member, Shakka Gyata Dedi, originally named Melvyn Mykeal Wellington, was born the USA in 1954. Later in life, he embraced a more Afrocentric name, by which he is now recognised. Moving to the UK, he studied graphic design at Canterbury College of Art in Kent. In 1982, Dedi released an illustrated poetry collection titled Afrikan Hartbeet: Songs of Unity, Love and Struggle.

However, his most significant role has been as a facilitator rather than as an individual artist and his efforts in institution-building have significantly amplified the presence of black British artists within the UK art scene. In 1982, with the collaboration of his partner, Eve-I Kadeena, Dedi secured funding from Islington Council which led to the establishment of The Black-Art Gallery in Finsbury Park, north London, and which was in operation from 1983 to 1994. Its inaugural exhibition in 1983, Heart in Exile, showcased 22 black artists of Afro-Caribbean descent. The gallery was at the forefront of promoting black artists; notable names in its exhibition history include: Keith Piper, Marlene Smith, Eddie Chambers, Donald Rodney, and Sonia Boyce. Under Dedi’s tenure as director, many Black artists received their first solo exhibitions in London,complete with catalogues, posters, press statements, and more. As a trained graphic designer, Dedi often took charge of designing exhibition posters, soon carving out a distinctive style. Though operational for just over a decade, the gallery was nevertheless highly instrumental in diversifying the UK art world. ‘It had a tremendous impact,’ Dedi reflected about the gallery’s activities some 30 years later, ‘because it brought artists that were not being featured into view. The overall effect was to encourage other young artists to get involved and also to inspire members of the Black community and wider afield.’ (Gelder, 2019). Notable figures such as labour MP, Jeremy Corbyn, visited the gallery multiple times. Dedi’s curatorial work also influenced more established institutions such as the Whitechapel Gallery and the Hayward Gallery to feature black artists. However, differences arose concerning inclusivity, as the gallery maintained its exclusive focus on artists of Afro-Caribbean heritage (diaspora-artists.net and Gelder, 2019). When Marlene Smith assumed the role of director in 1991, she changed the gallery’s approach, exploring themes of gender and sexuality, and showcasing works by artists from the Asian diaspora. Dedi ceased his involvement in the visual arts after leaving the Black-Art Gallery.

Together with Menelik Shabazz, Beverly Francis, Michael Jessumba, Ken Yahw McCalla, and Adziko Simba, Dedi founded the Organisation for Black Arts Advancement and Leisure Activities (OBAALA). Situated at 225 Seven Sisters Road in north London, this private limited company was incorporated in 1989 with a mission to champion the work of black artists. By 1990, OBAALA had obtained charitable status, and its operations ceased in 1996. [Some sources, including diaspora-artists.net and Gelder (2019) suggest that OBAALA had been active since the early 1980s.] The 1983 Black-Art Gallery exhibition was paired with the Black-Art manifesto, also known as the OBAALA Manifesto. This document stands as one of the earliest British manifestos of Black art. Within its pages, OBAALA members emphasised the principle that Black art is rooted in the experiences of African heritage and they encouraged artists from this background to create works that capture the historical essence of the Black experience. Stylistically, they advocated for an adaptation of traditional art forms to contemporary demands, ensuring a relevance to the community, while steering clear of elitism. They imagined an art that moved beyond conventional mediums, advocating for practices that married function with form, such as furniture design, education, and community development. From 1986 onwards, the gallery hosted OBAALA’s Poetry Theatre, which featured monthly readings.

As a poet, one of Dedi’s standout poetry performances took place in 1985 when he shared the stage with the British writer and dub poet of Afro-Caribbean heritage, Benjamin Zephaniah, himself son of a Barbardian postman and a Jamaican nurse. The following year, Dedi presented a talk entitled Contemporary Afrikan Artists in Britain at Kettle’s Yard Art Gallery in Cambridge. Dedi also worked in film. He assisted the Barbados-born British film director, Menelik Shabazz on two of his films, Burning an Illusion (1981) and Time and Judgement (1988). Presently, Shakka Gyata Dedi divides his time between New Cross, London, and Akososmbo, Ghana. A selection of his work can be found at The Spoken Word Archive.

Related books

Alice Anne Correia, 'Permindar Kaur: Locating a ‘Black’ Artist in Narratives of British Art in the 1990s', Art History, vol. 44, no. 3, 2021, pp. 604-623
Shakka Gyata Dedi et al, An Element of Fantasy (…in all this Reality) (London: OBAALA Publications, 1989)
Shakka Gyata Dedi et al, Heart in Exile: an Exhibition of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and Photography by British-based Artists, exh. cat. (London: OBAALA and Black-art Gallery, 1983)
Shakka Gyata Dedi, Afrikan Hartbeet: Songs of Unity, Love and Struggle (London: Nubia Publications, 1982)
Shakka Gyata Dedi et al, Burning an Illusion: the Story of a Black Woman’s Awakening (London: British Film Institute, 1982)
Caryll Faraldi, 'Master Rasta', Observer, 1 March 1981, p. 1

Public collections

Spoken Word Archive: Shakka Dedi

Related organisations

Black-Art Gallery (founder and director )
Canterbury College of Art (student)
Organisation for Black Arts Advancement and Leisure Activities (founder )

Selected exhibitions

Get Up, Stand Up Now (reference to the The Black-Art Gallery), Somerset House, London (2019)
Past Imperfect Future Tense (solo exhibition by Keith Piper curated by Shakka Gyata Dedi), The Black-Art Gallery, London (1984)
Black Art Now (group exhibition curated by Shakka Gyata Dedi), The Black-Art Gallery, London (1984)
Heart in Exile (group show curated by Shakka Gyata Dedi), The Black-Art Gallery, London (1983)

Ben Uri archive

Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Shakka Dedi]

Ben Uri Research Unit

for the study and digital recording of the Jewish, Refugee and wide Immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.

Shakka Dedi artist