Three Spirit Forms

The geometric patterns—zigzags, wave forms, ellipses, squares, triangles—and vibrant colors in Three Spirit Forms draw from Searles’s transformative travels to Nigeria and Ghana in the early 1970s. The ovoid, eye-shaped forms represent the interconnected souls of three birdlike spirit-entities. Like his friend Barbara Bullock, whose Remembrance hangs nearby, Searles was moreover inspired by the work of Nigerian artist Twins Seven-Seven, whose magnificent dinosaur stands in this gallery.   

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Searles attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). Upon graduation, he used his prestigious Cresson Travel Scholarship to visit Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, and other countries in West Africa. The contemporary art of Nigeria’s Osogbo School became a significant stylistic inspiration. Returning to Philadelphia, Searles became an instructor at the Ile-Ife Black Humanitarian Center, where he developed the visual arts program with Barbara Bullock and played drums for dance performances. His early paintings incorporated the lyrical movements, vivid colors, and complex patterns he encountered in Africa. His later work evolved into abstract carved and painted wooden forms that retained these references to African visual cultures. Searles went on teach at the Philadelphia College of Art (later the University of the Arts) and other institutions.  

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