KAMET RENAISSANCE ARTIST

Alexander Derrick

African American Alex Derrick who was born the 9-28-1976, is a visual artist and an independent researcher living in Los Angeles, California.  Alex was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio. His father is a multi-talented professional, who was trained as a lawyer. His mother is an elementary school teacher.  While Alex was a child, his father was active in international business and trade, and traveled extensively in Africa. His father's journeys quickened Alex's imagination to Africa.  Alex had the opportunity to study Psychology and computer programming at Carnegie Mellon University. In the middle of his studies, he decided to transferred to the Cleveland Institute of Art to pursue a more interesting career in the visual arts.

At the Cleveland Institute of Art, Alex won several awards and high praises for his designs.  Alex participated in the medical illustration department with other advanced students. Studying under Keston Jones he assisted in the creation of several functional glass djembe drums (all of which have been unfortunately destroyed as the result of a personal attacks). He out grew the Cleveland environment and took up illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His training at Art Center allowed Alex to spring board into a career at MTV, Music Television. He soon transitioned into the fast growing web design business, leading design projects for companies such as Universal Pictures, Disney Interactive, Mattel and NBC. Currently he is a lead artist at Universal Interactive, and does freelance special effects graphics for television.

Alex’s career experiences and diverse interests recently culminated in the development of an innovative digital forensic technique, which he used to virtually reconstruct the African pharaoh Rameses II. Alex helps organize the annual Fela Kuti Day, a local event which helps promote AIDS/HIV awareness and African music in Los Angeles. He also volunteers on Radio Afrodicia 90.7 KPFK. Alex is a member of the Los Angeles C.G. Jung Society.

Alex feels it is important that African artists re-evaluate and recreate the past, present, and future. That is why he has spent over two years developing a state-of-the-art forensic tool suite to help investigate our own historical personages from our own world view. Currently he is evolving his forensic approach studying the Egyptian royal mummies. He has been invited to study several mummies in the Royal Museum in Athens, Greece in the summer of 2004. He also is collaborating on a book about the African imagination and aesthetic with Dr. Nkamany Kabamba.

Alex accidentally met Dr. Kabamba when researching the Osiris statue discovered on the banks of the Lualaba river in Katanga Province, DR Congo. Alex would like to think the god Osiris brought them together, to achieve a great work.

Alex believes the African imagination is the world’s best kept secret. In the future Alex would like to learn to use the Balafon and the Kora in order to help cultivate his auditory imagination, perceptions of rhythm, time and harmony.

Contact Information:
Voice Mail: 323-858-5010
Email: Low_stress@hotmail.com
Official Website: www.highculture.8m.com

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