# Patrick Dougher > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Patrick_Dougher > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Patrick_Dougher.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Dougher > Source revision: 1342220755 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American artist, musician and art therapist Patrick Dougher Born Brooklyn, New York Occupation Visual Artist **Patrick Dougher** is an artist, musician, and [art therapist](/source/Art_therapy) who was born at [King's County Hospital](/source/Kings_County_Hospital_Center) and raised in [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn), New York, growing up in the [Bushwick](/source/Bushwick%2C_Brooklyn) neighborhood until the age of 10.[1] He was featured in the [Humans of New York](/source/Humans_of_New_York) series.[2] ## Personal life Dougher was born in New York City to an Irish father and an African American mother. His partner is [Sélène Saint-Aimé](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne_Saint-Aim%C3%A9), a French-Caribbean bassist.[3] ## Music career Dougher began playing the drums at the age of 17 and has performed and recorded as a drummer.[1] He played with the ska band Boilers and Toasters, performed with [Sade](/source/Sade_(singer)), recorded with [Easy Star All-Stars](/source/Easy_Star_All-Stars), and performed at [CBGB](/source/CBGB), [the Roxy](/source/The_Roxy_(New_York_City)), [Webster Hall](/source/Webster_Hall), and other venues.[1] ## Education and art therapy career As an art therapist, Dougher worked with children living with HIV and AIDS at King's County Hospital in the early 2000s.[1] As an Educator, he has worked as a youth advisor with the New York City Department of Education[4] and as a teaching artist at Project Reach and Studio in a School; he serves as the Interim Director of Education for [BRIC Arts Media](/source/BRIC_Arts_Media).[5] ## Acting career Dougher played a lead role in "Brooklyn 63," a 2014 production by Ping Chong 651 Arts.[4] He has also performed as a poet, using his poetry to criticize the gentrification of Brooklyn neighborhoods.[6] ## Art career Dougher's art career began at the age of sixteen in New York City, during the late 1970s, as a studio assistant in SoHo.[1] He is well known for his "Art Cans," which make use of flattened aluminum cans and draw on traditional African art as well as [Xerox art](/source/Xerox_art).[1] As a Program Director for Groundswell, a community mural arts organization in Brooklyn, NY, beginning in 2011, Dougher directed the creation of over 300 murals across New York City, depicting community-focused issues such as gun violence, women, immigration, race, and diversity.[1][7] He has spoken about the role of art and especially of mural arts as a tool for creating visual legacies within communities that are changing rapidly due to gentrification.[8] As a mural artist, Dougher designed "Spread Love," the first in a series of murals organized by [MoCADA](/source/MoCADA) in celebration of its 20th anniversary. "Spread Love" was unveiled in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in early 2019.[9][10] Much of Dougher's work focuses on representing the concept of God in and around people,[1] and seeks to connect African American culture to its sacred African heritage.[11] He is well known for his God Body series of artworks, which depict sacred objects using found and recycled materials.[5] Dougher also worked as assistant curator at [The Museum of African Art](/source/The_Africa_Center).[5] ### Selected exhibitions - "God Body," MoCADA, November 8 - December 22, 2019[12] - "Art and Lit," (group exhibition), South Africa, June 2019[13] - "DWU History Exhibition," ARTs East New York Gallery, January 2019[14] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:0_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-:0_1-7) Do™, What Should We (2019-03-19). ["Meet the Insanely Stylish Rising Art Star Who Beat Homelessness and Addiction"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191109011940/https://www.whatshouldwedo.com/blog/brooklyn-artist-patrick-dougher-groundswell/). *What Should We Do™*. Archived from [the original](https://www.whatshouldwedo.com/blog/brooklyn-artist-patrick-dougher-groundswell/) on 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["What it's like to be a 'Human of New York'"](http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/What-its-like-to-be-a-Human-of-New-York.html). *IrishCentral.com*. 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rose, Steve (13 May 2025). ["'I marvel I have any brain cells left': Artist Patrick Dougher on drugs, drink and blowing his big break with Sade"](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/may/13/i-marvel-i-have-any-brain-cells-left-drummer-patrick-dougher-on-drugs-drink-and-blowing-his-big-break-with-sade). *The Guardian*. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_4-1) ["God Body Art: An Interview with Patrick Dougher"](https://thehellebore.com/god-body-art-an-interview-with-patrick-dougher/). *The Hellebore*. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_5-2) nevahblackdown (October 1, 2017). ["Patrick Dougher: Art, Artist, Activist, and Human Being Combined"](https://nevahblackdown.com/2017/10/01/patrick-dougher-art-artist-%e2%80%8band-human-being-combined/). *NevahBlackDown*. Retrieved 2019-11-09.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Brooklyn Poet Slams Gentrification: 'First Came the Hipsters to Tame the Land'"](https://patch.com/new-york/fortgreene/brooklyn-poet-slams-gentrification-first-came-hipsters-tame-land). *Fort Greene-Clinton Hill, NY Patch*. 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Patrick Dougher | Groundswell"](https://www.groundswellmural.org/content/patrick-dougher). *www.groundswellmural.org*. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Tianga, Keli A. (2017-07-21). ["Art in the Face of Gentrification"](https://shelterforce.org/2017/07/21/art-face-gentrification/). *Shelterforce*. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["MoCADA Mural Reminds Brooklynites To 'Take It Easy'"](https://bklyner.com/mocada-mural-reminds-brooklynites-to-take-it-easy/). *BKLYNER*. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Innis, Charlie (2019-06-24). ["FamilyFest Kicks off Summer with New Community Mural"](https://www.bkreader.com/2019/06/24/familyfest-jumpstarts-the-summer-with-kid-friendly-activities-and-a-mural/). *BK Reader*. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Patrick Dougher"](https://museumofnonvisibleart.com/authorsite/patrick-dougher/,%20https://museumofnonvisibleart.com/interviews/patrick-dougher/). Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Patrick Dougher: God Body – MoCADA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191109020708/http://mocada.org/2019/11/01/patrick-dougher-god-body/). Archived from [the original](http://mocada.org/2019/11/01/patrick-dougher-god-body/) on 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Olaniyan, Oliver Enwonwu and Oyindamola (2019-07-02). ["Patrick Dougher on African Art, Spirituality and Healing"](https://www.omenkaonline.com/patrick-dougher-on-africa-art-spirituality-and-healing/). *Omenka Online*. Retrieved 2019-11-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Leonhardt, Andrea (2018-12-21). ["Exhibit Highlighting the Lives of Brooklyn's Domestic Workers to..."](https://web.archive.org/web/20191109015214/https://www.bkreader.com/2018/12/21/exhibit-highlighting-the-lives-of-brooklyns-domestic-workers-to-open-at-arts-eny/) *BK Reader*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bkreader.com/2018/12/21/exhibit-highlighting-the-lives-of-brooklyns-domestic-workers-to-open-at-arts-eny/) on 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2019-11-09. ## External links - [Artist Website](https://www.godbodyart.com/) - [YouTube clip of Dougher performing drums with Sade, June 1993](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOamXlOs1Cs) Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Patrick Dougher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Dougher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Dougher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.