Chronology
Faisal Abdu’Allah
1988–89
Attends Harrow School of Art, Harrow, England
Rapper KRS-One establishes the “Stop the Violence”
movement to quell gun violence in Los Angeles.
1989–91
Attends Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts,
London.
Public Enemy releases Fear of the Black Planet.
1989
Attends Massachusetts College of Art and Design,
Boston, and learns how to cut hair from friend
and student Kriss Bell. Reverts to Islam, changes
his name from Paul Duffus and becomes Faisal
Abdu’Allah.
Suffers severe neck injury as a result of an automobile
accident involving the London Metropolitan Police.
1990
Experiments with hair cutting on his fellow students
at Saint Martins.
Ice Cube collaborates with Da Lench Mob
and releases the hard-edged album
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.
1991
Starts working in local barbershop, whilst doing his
MA at the Royal College of Art, London.
Main Source releases Breaking Atoms, a
classical album.
1992
Artist’s Residency in Spain where he embarks on
automatic drawings.
Creates Fuck da Police in response to the Rodney King
incident in Los Angeles.
Late Zoë Linsley-Thomas of the 198 Gallery
discovers his work alongside the painters Johannes
Phokela and Chis Ofili.
Dr. Dre releases the legendary The Chronic.
1993
Finishes his MA, Royal College of Art, London
Solo show: Censored Nigger to Nubian 198 Gallery,
London.
Group shows: Presences curated by David Chandler
received wide acclaim, criticism, and a vandalism
attempt on I Wanna Kill Sam.
Appears on television in: “Clippers” BBC 2.
Dionne Warwick and various individuals encourage
Americans to boycott rap for its misogynistic lyrics.
A Tribe Called Quest releases single, Award
Tour.
1994
Group show: Us and Dem, Storey Institute, Lancaster,
Lancashire England, curated by Eddie Chambers,
opened by Benjamin Zephaniah, exhibit was
threatened with closure by the local police.
Mark Sealy, Director of Autograph ABP, underwrites
the Last Supper project.
Nas releases illmatic and creates an indelible
impression on the way in which Abdu’Allah
looked at materiality and representation
through youth.
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