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Gallery 1957[edit]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gallery 1957 is a contemporary art gallery located with three locations in Accra, Ghana. The gallery intends to present artists of West Africa and the diaspora.[1] It was established in March 2016 by British construction company owner Marwan Zakhem.[2][3] As of 2018, the gallery has shown artists including Serge Attukwei Clottey, Gideon Appah, Modupeola Fadugba, Godfried Donkor, Yaw Owusu, and Zohra Opoku.

Gallery 1957
Established 6 March 2016
Location Accra, Ghana
Type Contemporary art gallery
Founder Marwan Zakhem
Website gallery1957.com

Gallery 1957 opened on Ghanaian Independence Day on 6 March 2016, and is named for the year that Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule.[4] It opened its first two locations at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, opening with exhibitions by Ghanaian artists Serge Attukwei Clottey[5] and Godfried Donkor, respectively.[6] In October 2020, the gallery opened a London location[7][8][9] with an exhibition by Ghanaian artist Kwesi Botchway, co-curated by British writer Ekow Eshun.[10]

By the end of 2019, the gallery had showcased seven exhibitions[11] including:

  • "Last 20 years and beyond" with Ablade glover
  • "Palimpset" with Modupeola Fadugba, Zohra Opoku, Florine Demosthene, Elisabeth Efua Sutherland, Lois Selassie Arde-Acquah[12]
  • "Eroded grounds" with Thameur Mejri[13]
  • "Love letters" with Gideon Appah[14]
  • "How do you spell a silent sound" with Joana Choumali[15]
  • "Battle Royale" with Godfried Donor

Ghanaian writer and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta Ayim serves as the gallery's creative director.[16] Named after the Warrior Queen Mother of Ejisu[17] in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, the gallery also organizes the Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, which recognizes African female artists in the international art scene. Launched in 2021 to coincide with the 5th year anniversary celebrations of the gallery, it is the first art prize dedicated to female African artists.[18] The prize seeks to strengthen the commitment to supporting and promoting emerging and established artists across Ghana and the diaspora. Currently, the art prize is open exclusively to Ghanaian women and self identifying women artists either living in Ghana or across its diaspora.

The first winner of this prestigious award is Ms. Araba Opoku

Araba's works have been exhibited at the Fullmoon Exhibition, Artemartis (August 2019), Afrifem artxfeminism, Nubuke Foundation (March 2020), Stations of Protest, Cult Meraki/Nubuke Foundation (December 2020) and Art X Lagos (2021) among others. She has also collaborated with artists as well as established firms and organisations, an example being Vlisco International, on a three-month residency project on fashion and art, which ended in March 2021. Together with fellow artists (Xane Asiamah, Oheneba-Takyi Joshua and others), she belongs to an art collective based in Accra, Artemartis, where she serves as both an artist and its creative director.[19]

In 2022, the winner of this award is Priscilla Kennedy.

Kennedy is a member of the blaxTARLINES KUMASI collective and is presently pursuing her MFA at the Department of Painting and Sculpture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-Kumasi, Ghana. She holds a BFA degree from the same Department.[20] Through tapestry, embroidery, and painting, Kennedy uses technology and artisanship as means of expressing her personal narratives. Using photography and imagery that make reference to her body, Kennedy's stories bring together personal narratives, race, and feminist politics in fanciful ways. As she acknowledges craft work as a tool for subversion and emancipation of women, she also sees it as a means to subvert oppressive structures.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mahon, Sir (John) Denis, (8 Nov. 1910–24 April 2011), art historian; Trustee of the National Gallery, 1957–64 and 1966–73; Member, Advisory Panel, National Art-Collections Fund, since 1975", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 2007-12-01, retrieved 2022-11-10
  2. ^ "Meet The Gallerist Helping To Shine A Light On Accra's Thriving Contemporary Art Scene". British Vogue. 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  3. ^ Abrams, Amah-Rose (2016-01-21). "Gallery 1957 Opens in Accra". Artnet News. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  4. ^ Jansen, Charlotte (2020-12-15). "Gallery 1957 Heralds a New Era for West African Artists on Their Own Terms". Artsy. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  5. ^ "Gallery 1957: A New Gallery Highlights the Contemporary Art Scene in Accra, Ghana". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  6. ^ "Artforum.com". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  7. ^ Rea, Naomi (2020-10-26). "With London's High-Priced Real-Estate Market in Flux, Galleries Are Embracing the Pop Up. Is the Trend Here to Stay?". Artnet News. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  8. ^ "The art world doubles up — online and for real". Financial Times. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  9. ^ Reyburn, Scott (2020-10-09). "At a Reduced Frieze Week, a Focus on Black Art". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  10. ^ "Our pick of must-see gallery shows opening around the world in November". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  11. ^ "Past exhibitions". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  12. ^ "Palimpsest | 14 Mar - 19 Apr 2019". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  13. ^ "Thameur Mejri - 102 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  14. ^ "Gideon Appah-Love Letters | 29 Jun - 15 Aug 2019". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  15. ^ "Joana Choumali-How Do You Spell A Silent Sound | 24 Aug - 5 Oct 2019". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  16. ^ "British construction boss to open new gallery in Ghana". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 2016-01-14. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  17. ^ "Yaa Asantewaa", Wikipedia, 2022-10-06, retrieved 2022-11-10
  18. ^ "First art prize dedicated to female African artists launches today". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  19. ^ "Gallery 1957 Announces winners of The Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  20. ^ "Priscilla Kennedy". www.explore-vc.org. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  21. ^ "Gallery 1957". Gallery 1957. Retrieved 2022-11-10.