Interview by Eliza Jordan

The Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo has been artistic from a young age. In an effort to capture his surroundings and the emotions of those around him, he began creating in his childhood, and later organized drawing competitions among friends. Along with his interest in the creative arts, he was drawn to the vibrancy of complex life around him—interested in community, charmed by the intimacy between like-minded people, and puzzled by cultural, social, and political dynamics.

This comprehensive show presents key paintings—portraits, but also a series of self-portraits—by Amoako Boafo (b. 1984 in Accra), dating from 2016 to the present day. As one of the most important voices of a new generation of Black artists, Boafo portrays friends, acquaintances and public figures who convey contemporary notions of Black self-empowerment and self-conception.

Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing presents a critical look at the sport of boxing through a variety of artistic media. Featuring over 100 artworks spanning from the late 19th century to present day, this dynamic presentation is the largest comprehensive survey of artwork depicting the global sport and its cultural impact. Strike Fast, Dance Lightly illuminates the connections between boxing and artists, and underscores the rich history of a centuries-old sport and its influence on artistic movements.

The Belvedere in Vienna, Austria presents Europe’s first major museum exhibition of Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (b. 1984, Accra, Ghana). Boafo portrays his friends, acquaintances, and people from public life, presenting a contemporary image of Black self-empowerment and self-perception. This form of Black subjectivity is expressed in the appearance of the sitters, who confront the viewer as self-confident individuals.

By Gabriella Nugent

The rise of figuration since the mid-2010s has been coterminous with the art world’s attempt to become more inclusive. Not only have there been increased demands for ‘women artists’ in the context of the #MeToo movement that began in 2017, but the global Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 galvanised the appeals for decolonisation – that is to say, the expansion of collections beyond white artists typically from Western Europe and North America. In this context, public and private institutions have depended on figurative art to demonstrate, in quite a literal way, that they are being more equitable. This trend has developed in parallel across institutions and the art market: since the mid-2000s, there has been a growth in sales of figurative painting, which subsequently has been bolstered by an institutional embrace.

Review by Kriston Capps

From Grandma Moses to Rashid Johnson, “Revolutions” spans a ludicrous range of painters. Right from the start, the show dials up the contrasts: The first works to greet viewers are a stately 1884 portrait by society painter John Singer Sargent hanging next to an electric 2020 portrait by Ghanaian star Amoako Boafo. 

Roughly speaking, these works could serve as chronological capstones for the Hirshhorn’s collection. But there’s something else to this pairing: It’s an unlikely diptych that tees up the push-and-pull between figuration and abstraction that defines the collection — and the century.

Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden presents “Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960,” a major survey of artwork made during a transformative period characterized by new currents in science and philosophy, and ever-increasing mechanization. “Revolutions” captures shifting cultural landscapes through the largely chronological presentation. In its first rotation, the installation presents 208 artworks in the museum’s permanent collection by 117 artists—including Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, Lee Krasner, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock—made during 100 turbulent and energetic years.

By Lita Barrie

One of the first galleries in L.A. to focus on African-American artists like legends Betye Saar and Kehinde Wiley, Roberts Projects has continued to represent significant black artists and help them develop their careers – from the emerging to the established. This tightly-curated selection of works subvert the meaning of “oasis” from diverse perspectives exploring the relief we seek from hardship.

Roberts Projects is pleased to present a tightly-curated selection of works that interpret and subvert the meaning of 'oasis' from a diverse range of perspectives. Works by contemporary artists including Amoako Boafo, Daniel Crews-Chubb, Suchitra Mattai, Collins Obijiaku, Ed Templeton, and Brenna Youngblood conjure sensations of relief that nurture the human spirit while contemplating the hardships from which we seek refuge. Major hishlight sof the booth include Betye Saar's Oasis and Suchitra Mattai's between oceans. 

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is the debut museum solo exhibition tour for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (born 1984). One of the most acclaimed artists of his generation, Boafo’s works focus the viewers’ gaze on his subjects’ presence through his portraits representing Black life.

Accra! The Rise of a Global Art Community showcases the work of 18 artists who have deep connections to Accra, Ghana and their impact on global art discourse. Portraits, abstraction, textiles, works on papers and sculpture explore cultural identities, political histories, mythology, trauma and healing.

For Amoako Boafo, the best part of success is sharing it with his community, those who inspire him, and bringing along as many people as he can on his journey.

Soul of Black Folks is the debut solo museum exhibition for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (b. 1984), one of the most influential artistic voices of his generation. Working primarily in portraiture, Boafo is known for his vibrant use of color and thick, improvisational gestures created by his finger painting technique.

The FLAG Art Foundation and The Church are pleased to co-present Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing, an expansive, two-venue group exhibition that centers on the sport, psychology, ethos, and spectacle of boxing.

A Living Legacy marks the Frye’s seventieth anniversary, bringing together eight artworks—all acquired in 2022 and on view at the museum for the first time. The exhibition reflects the museum’s engagement with both local and global artists and celebrates the collection as a unique, ever-evolving, and always imperfect chronicle of artistic production: a living legacy of the Fryes’ visionary patronage. 

By Shawn Ghassemitari

The Coalition for the Homeless‘ Artist Plate Project has become a platform for established and emerging creatives to showcase their work, while providing meals for low-income New Yorkers. In conjunction with the upcoming Frieze New York, the 2023 Artist Plate Project will boast a remarkable list of global creatives, including Alice Neel and Amoako Boafo, Hank Willis Thomas and Huma Bhabha to Philip Guston and the late Virgil Abloh, amongst many.

By Christopher Knight

To unveil its latest, and perhaps most dramatic, architectural renovation and expansion, the Hammer has now launched a fleet of small exhibitions and single-artist shows, as well as one biggie. “Together in Time: Selections From the Hammer Contemporary Collection,” assembled by director Ann Philbin, chief curator Connie Butler and four members of the curatorial staff, pulls together 73 paintings, sculptures, videos and mixed-media works.

Presented in conjunction with the unveiling of the Hammer’s building expansion, this exhibition is the largest presentation of the Hammer Contemporary Collection in the museum’s history. Occupying nearly all gallery spaces, Together in Time highlights acquisitions since 2005—the year the Hammer began collecting contemporary art. Included in the exhibition are works in a wide range of media by Los Angeles-based and international artists.

The first monograph on the sinuous, exhilaratingly colorful and pattern-filled portraiture of Amoako Boafo.

Exclusively portraying individuals from the diaspora and beyond, Boafo invites a reflection on Black subjectivity, diversity and complexity. His portraits, notable for their bold colors and patterns, celebrate his subjects as a means to challenge portrayals that objectify and dehumanize Blackness. As Boafo has stated, “the primary idea of my practice is representation, documenting, celebrating and showing new ways to approach Blackness.”

Next week Ghanian-born, Austria-based painter Amoako Boafo will debut dot.ateliers, Accra’s latest artist residency and art exhibition space. The three-story structure designed by David Adjaye is an “architectural tool” for sustainable design for the community-guided project that serves as a multifaceted space for incubation, mentorship, and gathering. Dot.ateliers opens with Postcards from Home, a solo exhibition of Boafo’s works curated by Aindrea Emelife that reflects on the artist’s relationship with his hometown, and will be followed with a group exhibition curated by Akworkor Thompson, Play it Loud, in January.

Published by Chronicle Books and edited by Osei Bonsu, this deluxe hardcover survey, featuring profiles of 50 artists on the rise, is the definitive guide to contemporary African art. Artists include Amoako Boafo, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Bronwyn Katz—from household names to up-and-coming artists, African Art Now features some of the most exciting artists working today.

In Our Time: Selections from the Singer Collection includes a selection of paintings and works on paper collected by Iris and Adam Singer over the span of 16 years. Anchored by the work of 27 contemporary artists living and working in cities such as London, Beijing, New York, New Haven, Los Angeles, Accra, and Nairobi, In Our Time speaks to the immediacy of this moment on a global scale, as well as the key ideas, narratives, and concerns that artists have been exploring over the past 25 years.

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is the debut museum solo exhibition for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (b. 1984), one of the most influential artistic voices of his generation. Soul of Black Folks presents over thirty works created between 2016–2022, including a site- specific wall painting made specifically for CAMH. The subjects featured in Boafo’s paintings represent the nuance and complexities of Black life globally. Conditions such as COVID-19, the constant resistance against systemic oppression, the active combating of Anti-Black rhetoric, and the commodification of Black bodies in the media are some of the concerns that heighten this exhibition’s urgency and relevance.

The most exciting rising stars in contemporary art – who’s who and what’s next – featuring 107 artists born since 1980, as chosen by a new generation of art experts and leaders. This stunningly illustrated survey brings together more than 100 of the most innovative and interesting contemporary artists working across all media and spanning the globe. These are tomorrow’s art superstars as chosen by the future leaders of the art world: the curators, writers, and academics with their fingers on the pulse of contemporary art and culture.  Published by Phaidon Books.

Amoako Boafo and Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe are featured in a new exhibition wing dedicated to contemporary African artists at the Palm Spring Art Museum. Also on view are artists including Serge Clottey, Adeji Taiwah, and Simphiwe Ndzube, among others.

For just a few short weeks, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is hosting Artists Inspired By Music: Interscope Reimagined, which pairs paintings by Ed Ruscha, Amoako Boafo, Kehinde Wiley, and Anna Weyant with songs or albums from Interscope Records. The exhibition came about as a means to celebrate the music label’s 30th anniversary, and Dr Dre, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Nine Inch Nails, and Lady Gaga are among the musicians from which the participating artists drew their inspiration.

For this landmark exhibition, Wiley has invited a selection of contemporary African artists living throughout the world to each produce a self-portrait. Together these portraits will present a new exploration of identity, perception, and self-regard within the global stage through the lens of figuration, exploring notions of perspective, authorship and control within acts of expression that directly address the self. All proceeds benefit Black Rock Senegal, a multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program founded by Kehinde Wiley in Dakar, Senegal. Self-Addressed will open at Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles on November 6, 2021.

Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah
Presented in partnership with Contemporary Arts Museum Houston 

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks, is the premier museum solo exhibition for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo. The show is a presentation of over 20 works created between 2018-2021. Soul of Black Folks is a timely exploration into the varying strategies that Boafo employs within his practice to capture the essence of the Black figure.

This attempt at, and resistance of containment, on the part of art and artist could be summed up in Boafo’s predicates: “I paint so I don’t have to explain my work, my life.” His utterance recalls Joan Didion’s varied thoughts on magic: we find enchantment in working and not by analyzing contents or the very act of working. This is a script that Boafo—who opens his second solo at Roberts Projects this September,  SINGULAR DUALITY: ME CAN MAKE WE—is familiar with. His ethos to language seeks to undo the words, the script, almost as if fearful of what the definitive, last word might herald. Some might wager that we find magic—the occult—in the meta-voice of the artist, which is to say whether Boafo summons the voice of his paintings through explication. In my head, I ask: What does this movement of paint mean here, and here, or there?

What we see is political. Taking up space is resistance. Walking through the gallery space hung with pictures, museum-goers act out and internalise a version of history… what happens when this space is infiltrated by those history has sought to exclude? With Black Bodies, White Spaces: Invisibility and Hypervisibility we see the coming together of artists exploring the Black Body in painting and posit how doing so is a form of resistance.

The award-winning international artist Amoako Boafo has been selected to create the inaugural Suborbital Triptych, painted on exterior panels of a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket. The Uplift Art Program invites today’s leading artists to push the limits of the next frontier, sharing their vision with collectors, space enthusiasts and culture-lovers throughout the galaxy. Its seminal project, the Suborbital Triptych series, is emblematic of Uplift’s mission to further scientific discoveries and creative experimentation by granting artists access to the most advanced space technologies.

By Kristin Farr for Juxtapoz 

Amoako Boafo paints flesh with his fingers. “This lack of instrumental barrier sets me free and diffuses a barrier between myself and the subject. I am able to connect with the subject in a more intimate way, which allows me to create an expressive skin tone. I don’t think this type of stroke can be achieved by a brush,” the artist explains. He’s described his portraits as self reflection focused on identity, and challenging preconceived notions. 

 

By Cady Lang for Time Magazine

Amoako Boafo is a rising art-world superstar. The 36-year-old Ghanaian artist’s work, characterized by bright colors and textured finger painting, highlights Black identity and the African diaspora with complexity and warmth: in the 2020 painting The Pink Background, for example, two men lean into each other as if posing for a photo, both clad in suits and standing before a rose-colored backdrop.

By Allyssia Alleyne for Artsy

At the start of 2020, it was impossible to predict that this year would transform the art world as we knew it. By March, the COVID-19 pandemic began to throw entire years of museum, gallery, and biennial exhibitions into the balance, and it may have forever rocked the international art fair circuit. In June, the Black Lives Matter movement swept through the art world and ushered in a long overdue reckoning with the inequity and systemic racism of the art industry. Amoako Boafo was one of the artists at the forefront of these waves of change.

By Andrianna Campbell-LaFleur for Wall Street Journal

Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo, who lives in Vienna and studies at the Academy of Fine Arts there, was virtually unknown in the United States until the painter Kehinde Wiley contacted him in 2018 via Instagram. Wiley sent a short note and a line of encouragement and eventually an introduction to his Los Angeles dealers, Julie and Bennett Roberts of Roberts Projects. Boafo soon had a solo show at the gallery, and another is scheduled for next year.

Dior men’s Artistic Director Kim Jones collaborates with the Ghana-born, Vienna-trained artist Amoako Boafo through an intimate, all-encompassing and honest cultural conversation that began in 2019. Their meeting at the Rubell Museum in Miami was artistic love at first sight; Kim Jones and Amoako Boafo have a true mutual admiration for each other’s work.

Museum of the African Diaspora + Artsy are thrilled to present MoAD: Diaspora Unite! Artists of African Descent Benefit Auction 2020 featuring works from some of the more important artists of African descent around the globe. In creating an expansive, yet focused auction representing the infinite iterations of the African diaspora, MoAD brings together artists who have close ties to the museum in support of their mission as they continue the significant work done by the museum over the last 15 years since they’ve opened their doors to the public. This auction will provide critical funding to account for the loss of revenues due to COVID-19 as MoAD makes every effort to open their doors once again.

Roberts Projects congratulates Amoako Boafo on receiving the top honor of the 2019 STRABAG Artaward International.