African Decade Exhibition Catalogue by Alvin Ashiatey

An African Decade

2004 - 2014

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Art is the queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the worldâ&#x20AC;? Leonardo Da Vinci

Cover painting: J. E. Sodja Knowledge & Wisdom 2008 | 33cm x 28cm

acrylic & mixed materials on canvas

AN AFRICAN DECADE:

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES, INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES An exhibition of contemporary African Art from 2004 to 2014 the first decade of the Kuenyehia collection Opening & Private viewing: August 2, 2014 Public viewing: August 4, 2014 to September 4, 2014 Physicians & Surgeons Building 54 Independence Avenue | Ridge | Accra | Ghana

Introduction by

Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia

Ten years ago, inspired by Bunmi Oni, then Managing Director of Cadbury Schweppes West Africa, I moved back home to Ghana. My decade in Africa has coincided with the now well-known narrative of ‘Africa rising’ with significant interest and investment in Africa and its economies. I have been privileged to have been accorded a ringside seat at Ghana’s own part in the Africa rising story – firstly at Standard Trust Bank (now United Bank of Africa) and then both at GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration) and at Oxford & Beaumont. At Standard Trust, I was part of the start-up team that fundamentally changed the nature of retail banking in Ghana by ‘democratising banking’ including crashing minimum deposit requirements and focusing (unsual at the time) on what the customer wanted. The Kuenyehia collection is made up of the sixty or so pieces of work by contemporary African artists which I have acquired over the last decade. In most cases, I engaged directly with the artist before purchasing the work and in each case, I have been deeply humbled and inspired by the passion the artists have for what they do and by their dedication My experiences at Standard Trust, GIMPA and to their craft. We can all learn a lot from these artists Oxford & Beaumont therefore broadly mirror the and the artist community in general. I feel strongly positive stories I read of and hear about Africa rising. that African artists ought to be celebrated. As a result of my teaching and research at GIMPA, I have met hundreds of inspiring Ghanaians building enterprises of all kinds and across a diverse range of industries. At Oxford & Beaumont, my team and I have advised on the legal aspects of several significant transactions.

However, there is at least one aspect of the Africa rising narrative where I feel the story has not yet been properly told and that is in respect of ‘Africa art rising’. All across Africa, artists are creating outstanding pieces of art of all genres, documenting, challenging or otherwise responding to the social, political and economic changes that they are living through. Many do so, without succumbing to the previously restricted notions of African art. The story in Ghana is no different. In the decade I’ve been back, I have been amazed by the depth and quality of work available from the vast majority of artists. I have fallen in love more times this past decade than I ever have in any of the decades before with art.

The artists whose work I feature on these pages (and in the exhibition) have had the most profound effect on my life in the last decade. They’ve been a source of inspiration and of great hope particularly on those days, when – in the words of the American poet Robert Frost - it seems ‘life is too much like a pathless wood’. Their dedication to their craft and pursuit of excellence have acted as standards for me to aspire to. It is my hope that you will enjoy these pieces of art as much as I do. Enjoy! July 30, 2014

The

Team

Curator:

Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia

Team:

Thelma Tawiah Afia Adutwumwaa Owusu-Afriyie Daniel Mark Adamah Nana Yaw Attiah Joseph K. Konadu

Event Organiser: Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia Design:

creativeHUB

Pilolo 19.8” x 30”

oil on canvas

Adwoa

Amoah

Adwoa Amoah received her BFA from the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi in 2003. Her work is primarily painting but she occasionally experiments with installations and photography which extends her language of expression to reflect contemporary situations. Adwoa’s work has been exhibited in Ghana, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Denmark, and Italy. She has also participated in workshops such as Sansa International Workshop, Kumasi, Ghana and Langano II, Langano, Ethiopia. She is currently the Co-Director of the Foundation for Contemporary Art, Ghana. According to her, her “trajectory stems from the public space by observing the roles and positions we cloth ourselves in. Through painting, stitching and glueing, I question, analyse and interprete the social construct of identification and the ephemera of private and public opinion in Ghana. These ideas i translate through my paintings and installations”.

The Peace Pipe 17” x 20”

graphite pencil on acid free paper

Aquasam

(b. January 1989, Tema, Ghana)

AquaSam, also known as Samuel Tete Acquah, is a promising Ghanaian pencil portrait artist. He studied visual Art at Koforidua Secondary Technical School and graduated from the Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in 2011 with a degree in Industrial Art (Ceramics). He started sketching cars at the age of three and graduated to drawing cartooned images, finally metamorphosing into realistic pencil portraiture. Over time, he has developed his personal techniques and methods of combining charcoal and graphite to achieve photo-realism in monochrome. He draws very life-like portraits of people and has recently become noted for drawing presidents and other dignitaries. Currently, some of his portraits can be found in the Office of the President of Burkina Faso in Burkina and Office of the President of ECOWAS in Nigeria.

Constance Elizabeth (b. 1973, Accra, Ghana)

Swaniker

Inspired by nature, forms, shapes and lines, Constance Elizabeth Swaniker uses creative arts to capture and translate the essence of various themes by using wood, wrought iron, metal, glass and other materials. She attended basic and secondary schools in the Gambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Ghana. This greatly influenced her outlook on art and business. After secondary school, she obtained a degree in sculpture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Accents & Arts Company Limited, a Ghanaian company specialising in the creation of bespoke wrought iron furniture. Her work can be found in a wide range of upscale homes, offices and diplomatic missions. Her work has been recognized in reputable awards such as "Outstanding Industrial Metal Furniture Firm" in Ghana Award by wAi Africa; The Network Journal Africa 40-under Forty 2010 Achievement Award; and Best Entrepreneur SME Innovation 2010.

Progress unexplained 2011 | 36â&#x20AC;? x 17â&#x20AC;? metal & sneakers

The Station (Trotro) 59.5” x 72” oil on Canvas

Gabriel

Eklou

(b. 1966, Accra, Ghana)

A full-time, self-taught painter, Gabriel Eklou is one of the most prolific artists in Ghana today. Although born in Ghana, he spent most of his childhood in Togo and trained as an accountant and worked in the travel industry until 1996 when he followed his passion and gift to become a full-time painter. He has over the years carved a niche for himself with evocative art that merges empowering ancestral images and symbols with contemporary African life. Eklou captures the essence of the African spirit with his light and graceful expressionism. His signature figures, elongated, tapered and elegant, speak a body language that is understood all over the world. With economy, he conveys the inner energy in an impending gesture. Whether dynamic or in repose, his people reside in a timeless landscape of calm earth tones. He exhibits three or four times a year and his art can be found in corporate and private collections in Ghana, Togo, Germany, England, Denmark, Belgium, the USA, Japan and Canada. In 2006 he was commissioned to create Golden Exotic Plantation, a gift for President John Kofi Agyekum Kufour.

Knowledge and Wisdom 2008 | 33” x 28”

acrylic & mixed materials on canvas

J. E.

Sodja

(b. 1979, Akwamufie, Ghana)

Sodja attended Ghanatta Primary school, where he discovered his passion for painting and had his secondary education at Akosombo International School. He started painting professionally in 1997, and his tremendous talent has set him apart in Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art community. He has held exhibitions in Golden Tulip Hotel, Captain Hooks, and La Palm Royal Hotel all in Accra, Ghana. He is inspired by what he sees, feels and hears.

James

Cudjoe

(b. 1971, Takoradi, Ghana)

As a young boy Cudjoe used to do a lot of sketching, drawing and shading pictures. Art was his way to escape the hard times of his growing years. He graduated from Ghana’s private art college Ghanatta in 1996, and has since participated in several highly successful national group and solo exhibitions. Cudjoe operates his own galleries in Accra and Takoradi. James Cudjoe's work draws on images from everyday life. He is known for his cityscapes, which range from vibrant, colourful and energetic to calm, placid and subdued. He is also known to depict the African market woman, a figure he says represents his own mother, in scenes of labour or rest. He says “I love my mum so much, the way she behaves towards me, the kind of love she shows towards me. She sold her clothes to put me through school. There is nothing I do without her in mind.” Fans of his work find these paintings evocative, emotional and relatable. His growing popularity and success in Europe and the United States, as well as many other locations across the globe, is a testament to his skill and importance as an artist. In May 2007, James Cudjoe was featured in an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Man, Artists Speak: Contemporary art from Ghana and Zimbabwe. His work is considered to be illustrative of third generation Ghanaian artists, who freely express themselves as artists in a modern world, without succumbing to restrictive notions of African Art.

After the down pour 2008 | 36” x 36” oil on canvas

Chapel Square 2008 | 51.5” x 36” oil on canvas

Women Conference 2010 | 24” x 48” acrylic on canvas

Flow II 2007 | 40” x 32” acrylic on canvas

Town Centre III 2006 | 42” x 47.5” oil on canvas

Back Case I 2010 | 24” x 48”

Fast Lane I 2010 | 25” x 48”

acrylic on canvas

Top Floor 2007 | 24” x 30”

acrylic on canvas

Traffic in Blue 2010 | 42” x 48” oil on canvas

Money can’t buy love 2010 | 25” x 19”

Jelili Alao

Oladapo

Oladapo is a Nigerian artist who started painting as a child and harnessed his skill at the prestigious Osogbo Art School. His paintings are mainly created with pen ink, acrylic colours, oil colours and beadwork techniques. He is a versatile artist, who has carved a niche for himself through several exhibitions both in and outside Africa. In Ghana, his paintings are exhibited at the National Museum of Ghana, in Nigeria at the National Council for Art and Culture. In recognition of his work, he has been named a member of the Nigerian Association of Visual Arts and Performing Artists.

Top: The Greatest Annoyance 17.5” x 23.1” Bottom: Unbelievable Beggers 17.5” x 23.1”

Kofi

Agorsor

(b. 1970, Akatsi, Ghana)

For Kofi Agorsor, to be an artist means “preserving and developing one's spiritual, and cultural heritage”. After secondary school, he studied architecture at the Technical Institute of Kpando, but two years later he realized his true passion was to pursue his love of art and he switched to Accra Ankle College of Art where he obtained his diploma in 1993. He uses bold vibrant colours to reveal the daily lives of people in a modernizing Ghana, often in an upbeat and humorous way. Agorsor’s work has been described as “a joyous expression of colour and form, gestural and at times abstract yet always so charming. “Agorsor's talent is vigorous and original. He explores themes in a tricky colourful language that borders abstract, enhancing his effect with subtle touches of music. Colour is goofy, shapes jugger with sound. language is as inventive as it is confident.”.

traditional upon the irony and Agorsor’s

Numerous works by Agorsor have been sold at auction, and has held solo exhibitions in Kenya, Zambia, Benin, Switzerland, UK, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. Countries where he has held group exhibitions include Nigeria, Austria, Denmark, Germany, UK, South Africa, Finland, Netherlands, Singapore, Italy, and Switzerland. In his words, “my work is about love and affection, about simple everyday situations like relationships, music, and religion. Some people say I paint as a European or American interpreting African life. Some say my work is universal. I feel very universal”.

Jazz Solo 12” x 55”

Acrylic on canvas

Waatel mij 2010 | 39.5” x 39.5” acrylic on canvas

Untitled 2008 | 24” x 24” oil on canvas

The Girls 23.5” x 38.5”

acrylic on canvas

Untitled 30” x 50”

oil on canvas

Outdooring of a divine Priest 40” x 40” acrylic on canvas

Gifted Women 12” x 55” oil on canvas

Untitled 12” x 55”

oil on canvas

Kola Ogunsunlade

Joseph

(b. October 1965, Ibadan, Nigeria)

Kola is a Nigerian sculptor based in Ghana. He started making cages at a very young age, and also made drums, trucks and other objects out of tin plates. This may explain his use of recycled material in making his beautiful metal pieces. Growing up, he had no connection with an artist or any early artistic influence although he has been told that his paternal grandfather was a sculptor. Kola studied art and designing at the Polytechnic of Ibadan, merely for love and interest in the field but his early love for metal objects influenced his art, and soon he found himself leaning more towards sculpting. According to Kola, when he looks at a drawing, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I imagine it as a sculpted piece of work. The next moment, I would be on the path to sculpting it. Through my work I combine discarded metals, rearranging them to create human figures, masks and animals. My desire is to portray a 'resurrection of dead objects,' to help us see their beauty by giving them a new life. On the other hand, working with recycled materials has a potential yet to be discovered, especially in Ghana.â&#x20AC;? He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Ibadan, Lagos, Accra, Cape Coast and New York. His work can also be found in many homes all over the world.

Beauty Attitude 2006 | 50” x 30” oil on canvas

Ancestral Rhythms 2006 | 40” x 40” acrylic on canvas

Larry

Otoo

(b. 1956, Accra, Ghana)

Larry Otoo is one of the most renowned painters in Ghana today. He likes to refer to himself as a "contemporary traditionalist." His subject matter is inspired by the everyday activities of ordinary Ghanaians. His vibrant, abstract paintings in oil and acrylic capture the rhythm and beat of daily life. His paintings have been described as encompassing realism, expressionism and abstraction. Otoo holds a Master's Degree in African Art and Comparative Literature from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He has been making art since he was a child, when he used to be scolded for drawing in charcoal on the walls. Otoo has held exhibitions Africa, Europe, and the USA. His paintings decorate Ghana's presidential suite at the Kwame Nkrumah Conference Centre and Ghana's chancery in Washington, D.C. His recent activities include a residency in Segovia, Spain in 2011 with a joint presentation at the Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana. He has described how “each time I pick up the brush to paint, I have a strong feeling that an obligation has been placed on me to record and preserve our tradition visually.” He gathers inspiration from the positive images of everyday life; “music, the market, the seamstress’s place” and considers himself to be a social, rather than political commentator. Not only does he not simply paint the ‘traditional’ images around him but rather more “contemporary things, like fashion shows and sports, like billiards, football or golf.” Additionally Jazz music, which he was exposed to as a child, seems to have inspired and influenced Larry Otoo significantly. The music is almost tangible in the abstract rhythm with which he paints his musicians.

When peace goes off 2005 | 30” x 40” acrylic, pencil on canvas

Mawuli

Emmanuel

(b. August 1980, Accra, Ghana)

Mawuli attended Accra Academy where he studied visual arts. He continued to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), graduating with a BFA (Painting) in 2005. While at KNUST, he teamed up with two of his colleagues to do a group exhibition at Shangri-La Hotel and Novotel Hotel in 2003 and 2004 respectively. He typically uses pencil and acrylic paint to tell stories about women and children. He believes that art is his way of creating awareness about gender and children issues. He also loves to paint landscapes. Mawuli currently teaches picture making and general knowledge in art at a secondary school in Ghana. He does not paint professionally anymore and only paints as a demonstration for his students.

Mawuli

Quartey

Mawuli Quartey is regarded as one of Ghana’s new generation of talented artists. He studied visual arts at Kinbu Secondary School in Accra and further developed his skills at the Ultimate School of Art to pursue a diploma in Graphics, Painting and Textiles. He held his first individual exhibition in 2003, and has participated in a collective exhibition with Ben Agbe, Seth Clottey and Kofi Nduro.

African unrelenting beauty 2008 | 45” x 30” acrylic on canvas

Africa World 2014 | 31.5” x 26” acrylic on canvas

Nick

Amon

(b. 1958, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire)

Nick Amon is a self-taught Ivorian artist based in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire. In the late ‘70’s, he went to France where he learned to paint. His paintings are both semi-abstract and semi-figurative. The mixture of bright colours is a hallmark of Nick Amon. He owns his own gallery in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire. Buying a painting from Nick Amon also supports his local community because part of the profits from his work goes to teach local children how to paint.

Meditation 2014 | 26” x 31.5” acrylic on canvas

Nudikor

Buku

Nudikor Buku, a native of Accra, Ghana, is the artist formerly known as Mark Buku. Growing up in Accra has inspired him to capture the essence of his subjects in all the glory of its rich cultural heritage. With an extreme dedication to his craft, his style stems in part from a childhood that exerted an enormous influence on all his paintings. "I prefer to paint subjects that are representative of many facets of African life. Among my many favourites to paint are portraits and landscapes." Nudikor’s style is a blend of realism and impressionism. His artwork is nostalgic and uplifting and celebrates the traditional values of his culture. He received his B.A. in Art from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1992. Mark's philosophy is that everyone should have the opportunity to appreciate and afford beautiful art, it can be print or original. Nudikor was the 4th place winner at the Seventh European Community Art showing organized by the British Consulate in Ghana. He has held exhibitions in several countries including Canada, the United States and Europe. His work has appeared in many corporate hallways and offices, renowned galleries including Art Werks, Chicago and Galleria Africana, Chicago as well as many homes across America and Canada.

Intellect 15” x 18”

Rehearsal 2005 | 45.5” x 35” acrylic on canvas

Nyornuwofia

Agorsor

(b. 1983, Lagos, Nigeria)

Nyornuwofia is a painter and musician. Being largely an autodidact, she supplements her skill with studies at the studio of Kofi Agorsor, and she has been at it since completing secondary school. Her work is generally characterised by a childlike innocence that makes it appeal to all, especially children. Her friendly, almost jovial canvases readily disperse their poignant messages without the dizzying pretentions and trappings of the adult world. According to Prof. Moyo Okediji, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nyornuwofia subtracts the distance between painting and writing by returning calligraphy to its origin in hieroglyphics, and balancing the gesture with the elevation of images beyond the lines of expressive interrogation. The immediacy of her message draws on the organic layers of oral communication, in which the phonetic demands of language combines with the decorative flair of music, to produce a cosmic dance in which the tongue is dancing among the rows of teeth. The softness of the palate muscles must negotiate tight spaces within the confines of the mouth, hedged in by the rigid arrangements of dental configuration.â&#x20AC;? She has participated in several group shows, prominent of which have been those at the Novotel and Golden Tulip Hotels in Accra, Ghana.

Back to School 30” x 55”

Purification 2013 | 30” x 43.3” acrylic on canvas

Ofei

Dako

(b. 1967, Accra, Ghana)

Dako studied Art at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design where he was awarded a Diploma in Painting and Graphics in 1995. He also studied sculpture under the supervision of Sir George Anan in Côte d'Ivoire. Ofei Dako was employed back to his Alma Mater in 1996 as a tutor. He held several exhibitions in Ghana (at the Ghana National Museum) and abroad (in the USA and in South Africa). Ofei Dako is inspired by his native culture which he portrays in its simplest forms using acrylic paint on canvas.

Marine Impact 50” x 30” oil on canvas

Peter Atsu

Doe (Padoe)

(b. 1976, Accra, Ghana)

Peter Atsu Doe, also known as Padoe, started painting at a young age with an instantly recognizable style, using oil and acrylics on canvas with brush, palette knife and any other material that can be used to express his creativity in a piece of Art. After completing secondary school at Mawuli School in Ho in 2001, he enrolled at the Ankle College of Art in 2002 in order to improve his style and to pursue a career as a professional artist. After completing secondary school at Mawuli School in Ho in 2001, he enrolled at the Ankle College of Art in 2002 in order to improve his style and to pursue a provision as a professional artist. Padoe has been described as a painter of our new generation and his works are purely abstracts. His first solo exhibition was in 2004 at the National Theatre in Accra.

Top: Voiceless Voice 2009 | 23” x 29.7” acrylic on canvas

Centre: Face Off 2009 | 18” x 25” acrylic on canvas

Bottom: Adeepena (scarcity) 2009 | 25” x 30” acrylic on canvas

Life Lessons 2008 | 48” x 36” acrylic on canvas

Chauffeur 2008 | 47.5” x 35.5”

acrylic on canvas

Nkasee boo (the news) 2008 | 24” x 30” acrylic on canvas

Fertility in Men 2006 | 22.8” x 28” acrylic on canvas

Left: Two Dancers 2006 | 23” x 29.7” acrylic on canvas

Centre: Le Courier 2007 | 47.5” x 35.5” acrylic on canvas

Right: A Cow 2005 | 36” x 47.6” acrylic on canvas

World Cup 2008 | 39.8” x 29.5” acrylic on canvas

Reuben

Glover

Reuben Glover is an artist, a cultural policy analyst, a lawyer and at lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba. On what inspires him to create outstanding works of art, he says: “in my world of creativity, I seek to elevate myself into a world of sensitivity and conceptualization; sometimes influenced by my rich inalienable ancestral heritage of iconography and semiotics which guide me in my quest for visual and intellectual gratification. Consequently, my canvases are not analytical facsimile of metaphors of my surroundings but rather sincerely, they are magnum opus of profound inner reflections of how I feel about life and humanity with absolute freedom to dramatize, sentimentalize and fantasize with my independent thoughts about them as a creative mind through any medium accessible.”