Gallery 1957 is pleased to present The Journey, a new solo exhibition by Oxford-based Ghanaian artist Annan Affotey (b. 1985, Ghana), from October 12th to December 1st, 2022, at the gallery’s UK location.

Following the artist’s debut solo show Ghanatta Strong in Accra last year, this seminal exhibition expands upon Affotey’s love of portraiture painting by looking back to past techniques that have made him into the artist he is today. This new, ambitious body of work figures itself as a kind of self-portrait, or early retrospective, bringing together creative practices and distinct people contributing to Affotey’s journey as an artist, father, and storyteller. From found family to social media muses, the figures populating Affotey’s canvases take us on a Journey through living rooms and lyrical landscapes, welcoming spaces with a touch of the uncanny.

The Journey deftly employs the Ghanaian ideology of ‘Sankofa’ – looking back to move forward – by collecting past skill sets, characters, and settings to create new worlds that are at once profoundly personal yet belong to all. “My journey has had many chapters,” the artist reflects, “All of which have shaped who I am today. All people face a journey no matter who they are. This new body of work celebrates the people, past and present, who are part of my journey and who have shaped my artistry.”

Source: gallery1957