Local artist featured at ‘Gallery Under the Stairs’ exhibition 

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EAST ORANGE, NJ — Mayor Ted Green and the East Orange City Council joined with the Arts Council of East Orange to open the “Gallery Under the Stairs,” exhibit, featuring the work of local artist Kojo “Drift” Aidoo, on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Aidoo, a lifelong East Orange resident, father, rapper, actor and artist, was born to parents who immigrated to the United States from Ghana. He has been an artist and cartoonist since age 5, and was always an avid lover of music, starting to rap at age 9.

Aidoo first gained national notoriety in 2002, when he won multiple rap battles on BET’s long-running television show “106 & Park.” He later signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. and released the hit record “Don’t Call Me” in 2004. His debut album, “Ribs is Touching,” featured rappers Remy Ma and Smif-N-Wessun.

In 2007, after the birth of his son, Kamal, Aidoo took a hiatus from music and decided to get a traditional job. However, under the advice of his mother, he recently began to paint and share his art. Aidoo’s work is a colorful mix of pop art, portraiture and natural art, and includes tributes to public figures who have inspired him, such as Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, Tupac Shakur and Jean Michel Basquiat.

“This event is a showcase of local artists in the city of East Orange,” Aidoo said Monday, Nov. 18. “I was fortunate enough to be designated this time. This was a solo exhibit. All artists did abstract work. I was the only one who did portrait art. I was ecstatic. Very proud, as this was an extremely difficult year for me. I’m grateful to the entire staff at the East Orange City Hall.”

Gwendolyn Jackson, who runs the gallery, spearheaded the event. The Arts Council of East Orange serves as the curator of the gallery, which has new exhibits every three months.

“‘Gallery Under the Stairs’ is part of the Arts Council of East Orange and we just celebrated our first year in July 2019, with an exhibit by local photographer John Henry. Kojo’s exhibit is our sixth exhibit in East Orange City Hall,” Jackson told the Record-Transcript on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

“The mission of ‘Gallery Under the Stairs’ is to highlight and present a space for local artists to display their work to a diverse community,” she continued. “We have a special committee, under the guidance of the ACEO, who reviews and recommends artists for exhibits. We are working on developing a program that supports the arts by getting presenting artists to give workshops to share and demonstrate their techniques and skills in a daylong seminar.”

“Our goal is to attract sponsors to support these endeavors as an outreach to the community. We have gotten support from a sponsor to donate new lighting and are looking to expand our space to include regular exhibits by student artists throughout the city.

The mayor admitted at the exhibit that he enjoyed seeing his own portrait by Aidoo.

“We are excited to showcase the great artwork of local artist and East Orange native Kojo Aidoo,” said Green, who has been the inspiration for two of the artist’s works, in a quote sent to the Record-Transcript after the event on Tuesday, Nov. 19. “This young man is as humble as he is talented, and we are proud to have his work be among the first to be exhibited right here at City Hall in our ‘Gallery Under the Stairs.’”