Marfo’s work revitalizes and reimagines these references with joyful exuberance.Īccording to the Artist: “Rather than painting likenesses of real people, my paintings are focused on figures from my dreams and childhood memories so that I can create characters removed from reality. In an essay accompanying the exhibition, David Bellingham of the Sotheby’s Institute of Art notes the many cross-cultural artistic influences that coalesce in Marfo’s work, including references to artists ranging from Zdzisław Beksiński to Wifredo Lam and even Pablo Picasso. These works, which brim with Marfo’s keen observations of the different people and cultures he has encountered, find links between Akan traditions and his experiences in the West. Six more large-scale figurative paintings depict clusters of families with animals often engaged in social situations. Nine new paintings included in the exhibition are each titled “Strangers”-works that are based on the artist’s own brief encounters with Londoners. Though brimming with vibrant colors and textural patterns, the artist sees his work as a tool for societal connection rather than simply a means to convey beauty. Why We Like It: Marfo’s paintings are rich with cross-cultural references. since 1999.) What’s more, the exhibition marks one year since gallery founder Jean-David Malat discovered Marfo’s work through an open-call exhibition, titled “Isolation Mastered,” an effort to support aspiring artists during lockdown. with 15 new paintings made over the past year (Marfo has lived in the U.K. Malat Gallery will mark Marfo’s debut solo exhibition in the U.K. These influences remain vital to Marfo’s work today, with his brilliantly colorful paintings populated by distinctive figures that draw from the forms of Akan fertility dolls. After all, his first interest in art came through the traditional Akan artifacts, sculptures, and carvings that surrounded him in his childhood. ![]() Check out what we have in store, and inquire for more with one simple click.Ībout the Artist: Artist Kojo Marfo’s work is deeply informed by his Ghanaian identity. Every month, hundreds of galleries add newly available works by thousands of artists to the Artnet Gallery Network-and every week, we shine a spotlight on one artist you should know.
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