Six times, Ghanaian Artist Ibrahim Mahama made Ghana famous.
With his inventive and politically charged works, Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has been making waves in the art world and solidifying Ghana’s place on the map of contemporary art worldwide. Mahama’s large-scale sculptures, which are constructed from elements that represent Ghana’s past and present, have won his attention on a global scale for his distinct method of examining issues related to globalization, identity, and colonialism.
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Childhood and Schooling
Mahama, who was born in Tamale, Ghana, started her artistic career in 2010 after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. In 2013, she went on to get a Master’s degree in Painting and Sculpture from the same university.
At Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he obtained his BFA and MFA in Painting and Sculpture, marking the beginning of his artistic career.
Art Pieces
Jute sacks, which are used in markets and to transport commodities like food, charcoal, and coal, are essential to Mahama’s profession. These Southeast Asian bags represent the complex network of international trade and the preference for products over people when it comes to freedom of movement. To create massive patchwork quilts that he drapes over buildings, Mahama works with local artisans to piece these ragged sacks together. This process results in a visual narrative that speaks of history, commerce, and societal transformation.
He added Ghana to the Map Six Times
1. The Venice Biennale and Documenta 14
Mahama made headlines around the world in 2015 when he enclosed public buildings in Athens for Documenta 14 using jute sacks. The next year, he produced a lengthy outdoor hallway covered in jute bags for the Venice Biennale, which was housed in the Arsenale building.
2. Bits and pieces at White Cube
In her 2017 debut solo show, Fragments, Mahama examined topics of identity and society in post-colonial Ghana at White Cube in London. The enormous sculpture Non-Orientable Nkansa, which honored Ghana’s history of shoemaking, served as the center of attention.
3. Participation in the 2019 Venice Biennale
In 2019, Mahama’s installation “A Straight Line Through the Carcass of History” served as Ghana’s representative at the 58th Venice Biennale. The display featured pieces by other well-known artists in addition to Ghanaian art, and it was organised by Nana Oforiatta Ayim and created by Sir David Adjaye.
4. Ghost Parliament
Mahama organised the Parliament of Ghosts show at Manchester, UK’s Whitworth Art Gallery in 2019. The programme used components from Ghana’s railway system to solve issues of inequality and colonial infrastructure.
5. The Education Hub and Red Clay Studio
In order to further his artistic pursuits, Mahama bought planes in 2021 and converted them into a centre for teaching as a part of his Red Clay Studio in Tamale.
The building functions as an open-door learning center, providing free lectures on a range of topics to students in the neighborhood.
6. Using Purple Hibiscus to Wrap London’s Barbican
Mahama’s most recent work of art, “Purple Hibiscus,” is an amazing demonstration of teamwork and artistry. The piece of art showcases elaborate hand needlework made out of more than 130 batakaris, or traditional Ghanaian robes.
The moniker “Purple Hibiscus” honors the book of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, demonstrating Mahama’s interest in reading and narrative. Mahama’s strong ties to his own country and its people are demonstrated by the items utilized in the artwork, which were acquired through a process of trade and barter from communities around Northern Ghana.
The installation has attracted interest from throughout the world, with reports from the BBC and other foreign publications highlighting Mahama’s transformational artwork.
Public artwork
Mahama’s large sculpture, “57 Forms of Liberty” (2021), which exhibited an inverted industrial tank, was on display on the High Line in New York City from April 2021 to March 2022.
Honours and Acknowledgments
Mahama was named by theafricareport.com as the 73rd most influential African of 2019. In addition, he was included on the shortlist of six artists to be commissioned in 2021, 2022, and 2024 for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
Ibrahim Mahama recently discussed his thoughts on the transformational potential of art, highlighting the need to stop thinking of it as a commodity and instead see it as a gift. in the 2024 Biennale of Arte.
Mahama highlighted a crucial topic that has influenced his artistic trajectory when he said, “Since I was in art school, I have focused on the question ‘How do we shift art from the state of the commodity to that of a gift?'”
“It was almost impossible to produce work steeped in crisis and yet make it part of the consciousness of a growing generation,” he said.
The artist underlined how important culture is in influencing how unconventional ideas are understood in modern society.
“Culture is the only way through which new generations can understand ideas that seem too radical in the present societal moment,”
Ibrahim Mahama has elevated Ghana’s status in the international art scene with his inventive material manipulation and unwavering dedication to tackling social and political concerns. His creations continue to elicit admiration and contemplation, presenting Ghanaian modern art’s depth and complexity to a global audience.
