By Haddy Touray
The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has paid tribute to veteran Gambian graphic designer and book publisher Ruth Carrol, describing her as a pioneering artist whose work helped shape the visual identity of numerous national and international institutions.
Carrol, who died last week in her late 60s, was celebrated for her contributions to graphic design, particularly in logo creation and book design, according to a tribute issued by the Director General of the NCAC, Hassoum Ceesay.
“Ms Carrol was the brain behind many logos, including those of the National AIDS Secretariat, the 1997 Zone Two Football Tournament hosted in Banjul, the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, the University of The Gambia and The Gambia Postal Services. She was The Gambian logo artist,” Ceesay said.
He described Carrol as a creative professional who set high artistic standards throughout her career.
“She set high artistic standards in her work as a logo designer and book designer. Above all, she was an exceptionally talented creative who worked quietly but professionally, ensuring that Gambian books were produced with outstanding design quality,” he added.
According to the NCAC, Carrol was born in Bathurst in the late 1950s and studied graphic design at the Dakar School of Fine Arts before undertaking further studies in the United Kingdom and the United States.
She began her career as an art teacher before joining the then Government Printing Department, now the Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC), where she rose through the ranks to senior management before retiring.
Ceesay said Carrol’s professional achievements demonstrate the important role of the creative industry in national development.
“Her career shows that the creative arts can provide meaningful and rewarding employment for Gambians while enabling them to make lasting contributions to national development,” he said.
The NCAC described Carrol’s legacy as one that will continue to inspire generations of Gambian artists, designers and publishers.
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