A renowned artist whose contributions marked the initial wave of abstract art in the UK, and anticipated the climate change protests alongside discussions on the impacts of British colonialism, is now receiving an “overdue” reassessment, according to art historians and critics.

Aubrey Williams, a Guyanese artist who relocated to the UK in the 1950s, was highly regarded during his lifetime and featured in various exhibitions across Britain. However, after he succumbed to cancer in 1990, the prominence of his work and the significance of his abstract pieces gradually diminished.

“His artwork was characterized by dramatic, large canvases, always filled with vibrant colors,” remarks Chili Hawes from October Gallery, the institution that represented Williams throughout his lifetime. “His pieces were anything but muted. He was passionate about drama and bold colors.”

After moving to the UK in 1952, Williams spent a significant portion of his life there but also maintained studios in Miami and Jamaica. He associated with prominent figures in the art world, including a memorable encounter with Picasso in Paris, facilitated by Albert Camus. “He remarked that I had a notably distinguished African visage and expressed a desire for me to model for him… he didn’t perceive me as a fellow artist,” Williams recounted of their meeting.

Although Picasso did not recognize his talent, Williams played a pivotal role in the Caribbean Artists Movement (Cam) that emerged in Britain during the mid-1960s, founded by artists, writers, and playwrights from the West Indies. Cam focused on two main objectives: to integrate their work into the mainstream and to engage in discussions around the nature of black art in the post-colonial 20th century.

Alongside notable figures like John La Rose, Althea McNish, and Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Williams participated in small gatherings he termed “warshis,” a word from the Amerindian language he encountered in Guyana, denoting meetings for individuals to “unburden” themselves.

“He was a major ideas contributor in Cam,” notes academic Malachi McIntosh, who is currently working on A Revolutionary Consciousness: Black Britain, Black Power, and the Caribbean Artists Movement, a forthcoming historical account of Cam for Faber.

“Cam eventually split over a clash of beliefs: some argued that art should engage with the community, while others, including Williams, insisted that artists required complete creative freedom,” McIntosh explains.

Similar to fellow Guyanese artist Frank Bowling, who showcased his first major retrospective at Tate Modern in 2019, and McNish, who had her own significant touring exhibition in 2022, Williams has seen a renewed interest in his work.

In 2010, his art was included in a pivotal Afro Modern exhibition at Tate Liverpool; and from 2022 to 2024, a dedicated space showcased his pieces. At last year’s Frieze Masters, Williams earned a spot in the prestigious “Spotlight” section, with curators highlighting him as an artist who had “pushed the boundaries of painting.”

Earlier this year, the Paul Mellon Centre published Aubrey Williams: Art, Histories, Futures, co-edited by his daughter Maridowa Williams, featuring critical responses to his art, personal diaries, and poetry.

“There’s been a significant change in how these artists are perceived,” says Hawes. “Yet Aubrey’s work deserves special focus, as he was ahead of his time in discussing ecological matters… I believe this is his moment in the spotlight.”

October Gallery’s artistic director, Elisabeth Lalouschek, highlights that Williams’s artwork evolved in various directions, noting his fascination with the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. “When examining Shostakovich’s symphonies, you can see how he attempted to convey music through color and form, which is an extremely challenging endeavor,” she states.

A new exhibition featuring Williams’s work is set to open this week at October Gallery, showcasing several decades of his creations and highlighting the significant impact of his agricultural work in Guyana.

He originally came to the UK to pursue agricultural engineering studies at Leicester University, and his passions for ecological issues and ancient cultures, such as those of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Olmecs, are recurrent themes in his art.

In her Guardian obituary for Williams, author Anne Walmsley noted that his “curious mind was consistently explored the connection between humanity and nature, as well as the mythological enigmas reflected in artifacts from ancient civilizations.”

Aubrey Williams: Elemental Force is on display at October Gallery, from May 22 to July 26.