Amos Ferguson (1920-2009) Bahamian artist who passed away in October last

year. Photo Courtesy: Galerie Bonheur

Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson died on October 19, 2009, of dementia. Ferguson was well-known by the art world as one of the most significant folk artists ever from the Bahamas and a national treasure to that country. A prolific artist during his lifetime, Ferguson captured the attention of museums, art historians, critics, galleries and private collectors all over the world. He was often called "the Picasso of the Bahamas," painting relentlessly after accepting a message from God that his nephew received in a dream, telling Amos that his talent was to paint.

Amos Ferguson always said that he painted "by faith, not by sight," and he often turned to his Bible for inspiration, depicting religious and biblical images such as the Crucifixion, the Ten Commandments, Adam and Eve, as well as other spiritual subjects. Though completely self-taught and untrained in the field of art, Ferguson’s work has an element of sophistication and intuitiveness that charms and captivates his audience. He had an uncanny sense of design and an impeccable composition technique, even though in his later years he suffered from cataracts and had difficulty with his vision. 

Scenes of Bahamian life are common in the works of Amos Ferguson. His subject matter is always friendly and joyous, conveying a feeling of warmth and vitality. His paintings are panoramas of a people, a place and a deeply felt ethos. Each of his paintings is unique and different from one another, as his approach was always bold and direct. The colors in Ferguson’s oeuvre are brilliant and bold, compelling the viewer into the work of art with great energy and joie de vivre. The paintings, like the artist himself, are an example of his free spirit and his love for life. 

Amos Ferguson was a "dynamo," a very spiritual and passionate man who lived life transparently. "If he didn’t like you, he’d let you know," according to Erica James, director and chief curator of the National Art Gallery in Nassau. His eyes were a piercing bright green and he would look straight into your eyes and connect with you in a deep and alluring way. He was always charming and appealing, interesting and fascinating, like his work.

To quote Geoffrey Holder from the book Paint by Mr. Amos Ferguson (Ute Stebich, 1984):

"Ferguson’s work reminds me of the Garden of Eden before the Snake. It’s pure, it’s clean, it’s direct, uncluttered. I think that anybody who is born under the Caribbean sun knows that color is life."

Laurie Carmody Ahner is the owner and director of Galerie Bonheur located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Her gallery has represented the work of Amos Ferguson since the mid 1980s.