Tag: ghana

Rita Mawuena Benissan in ‘Worldmaking’ at Mitchell-Innes and Nash Gallery

Rita Mawuena Benissan’s royal umbrella is a standout at Mitchell-Innes and Nash Gallery’s summer group exhibition of work by artists who live in Ghana.  At eight by ten feet, Benissan’s large, regal cover – traditionally employed to protect a king or queen and show authority – was crafted with help from professional chief umbrella makers and connects to a tradition of royal use.  At the same time, the artist explains in a statement that she intends viewers to ask questions about how the umbrella might be used today – for royalty?  A community?  Viewers?  Titled ‘The Damsen of Succession,’ damsen refers to the deep, attractive purple color, while the notion of succession prompts consideration of the object in new contexts. (On view through Aug 25th).

Rita Mawuena Benissan, The Damson of Succession, umbrella, fabric and wood, 100” diam. X 120” height, 2023.

‘Ghana boy’ tunic in ‘The Clamor of Ornament’ at the Drawing Center

Featuring multicolor embroidery and emblems from urban life, ‘Ghana boy’ tunics like this one currently on view at the Drawing Center were worn by Malian workers who’d migrated to Ghana’s coastal cities.  The garments might depict tools of a trade (e.g. a barber’s scissors), fashionable clothing or vehicles (motorbikes to airplanes) and speak to the experience of the wearer.  On view in the Drawing Center’s wide-ranging design exhibition ‘The Clamor of Ornament:  Exchange, Power and Joy from the 15th century to the present,’ this tunic demonstrates self-fashioning between cultures.  (On view in SoHo through Sept 18th).

“Ghana Boy” style tunic (back), unknown artist, Mali, cotton cloth with multicolor embroidery, c. 1960s-70s.
“Ghana Boy” style tunic, unknown artist, Mali, cotton cloth with multicolor embroidery, c. 1960s-70s.

Paa Joe in ‘The Coffins of Paa Joe and the Pursuit of Happiness’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

Paa Joe’s fantasy coffins, which can take the shape of a giant coke bottle, lion and more, could make anyone glad to be buried. His untitled rendition of a fort in Ghana is more (appropriately) serious, depicting a 17th century Dutch slave trade outpost. It is one of a series commissioned by late collector and Jack Shainman Gallery co-founder Claude Simard, currently featured at the gallery’s 24th Street and Kinderhook, NY locations. (On view at Jack Shainman Gallery in Chelsea through Aug 25th).

Paa Joe, Untitled, wood and enamel, 43 x 87 x 60 inches, 2004-05

Surface Tension at FLAG Art Foundation

It’s always a treat to see work by Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, known for repurposing materials like printing plates and liquor bottle caps into beautiful abstract sculpture. This piece opens the show ‘Surface Tension’ at Chelsea’s FLAG Art Foundation, a timely selection of work by a multi-generational selection of artists who create dramatic tension on 2-D surfaces. (Through Dec 12th).

El Anatsui, Telesma, mixed media, found aluminum and copper wire, 96 x 116 inches, 2014.