Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe
Gana Art is set to host the first solo exhibition of Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe in Asia, titled Embodiment. Born and raised in Ghana, Quaicoe graduated from Ghanatta College of Art and Design for Fine Art and moved to Oregon in 2017 where he actively participated in institutional exhibitions including the Rubell Museum (Miami, FL), Portland Art Museum (Portland, OR) and Museo Picasso Malaga (Malaga, Spain). Also appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue and Vanity Fair, his work is in the permanent collection of the Vanhaerents Art Collection in Brussels, the Denver Art Museum and other major venues.
After learning photography from his close friend who is a photographer, Quaicoe began to paint from his photographs, capturing the individuality and emotion of these figures. Quaicoe's creative process applies bright, vibrant colors in attire and thickly rendered monochrome backgrounds which contrasted with tonal variations of smooth blacks and greys on the bodies of his subjects. But one of the standout features of Quaicoe's art is his ability to capture the essence and personality of each of his subjects gazing toward the viewer with relaxed, assured poses. His works also draws inspiration from the tradition of African tattoos, which has become a fashion statement and a symbolic language of individual identity beyond ethnic or social markers. Presenting Otis Kwame Ky Quaicoe's recent paintings, the show will delve into the physical features, inner worlds and stories of diverse Black figures in American society.