Kwaku Yaro takes over Gallery 1957 until December 04, 2023 with his new solo exhibition entitled “Look at What You’ve Seen“. Through new and unpublished works, the contemporary artist takes us to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean in the company of a fishing community. It was in this calm, unassuming environment in the heart of Labadi that the idea for these captivating works emerged. From a singular perspective of restructuring, Kwaku Yaro reshapes the limits of visualization and raises questions about the very act of seeing.
“Look at What You’ve Seen” is an exhibition that takes an in-depth look at the act of seeing. It explores how the individual transcends the passive role of the gaze to actively participate in the act of seeing. The plurality and relevance of materials observed in the artist’s work invite the public to reconsider its conception of the infinite possibilities offered by art to transmit, materialize and perceive things. He reorganizes the hierarchy of materials in the art world, where traditional canvases and paints have often reigned supreme. This reformation of things intrigues and incites us to accept our participation in this new agency, as well as to bear witness to contemporary art’s capacity to modify the unnoticed, the banal and the everyday into critical discourse and visibility.
In “Look at What You’ve Seen“, Kwaku Yaro also shares a personal story of his mother’s migration from northern Ghana to the capital, Accra, in search of a better future. The polypropylene carpet was one of the few possessions she took with her. This object thus took on a special symbolic meaning for the contemporary artist, who integrated it into her artistic practice.
This story echoes that of the Ghana Must Go bag, which was originally introduced in Ghana as a sturdy, multi-purpose bag for a variety of uses, including transporting goods and personal effects. However, its name and iconic status are linked to a historic event in the 1980s, when Ghanaian immigrants residing in Nigeria were expelled from the country for fear of taking over Nigerian jobs. The port they used to transport their belongings was these bags. This mass migration and the link with the bag earned it the nickname “Ghana Must Go“. Its distinctive check pattern became a symbol of migration, resilience and the complex relationship between Ghana and Nigeria. Over time, it evolved from a functional object to a cultural icon used in Kwaku Yaro‘s exclusive art.
The narratives and stories painted by the artist represent a striking reflection of similar instances. Using his characteristic style of lush green stippling, Kwaku Yaro makes fictional inductions to an opulent lifestyle. This wealth is reflected in his works through elegantly dressed muses and carefully crafted configurations of wealthy home settings. His multimedia approach combines the commonalities of recycled woven polypropylene rugs, carrier bags and jute sacks with the timeless medium of acrylic paint. He also incorporates intricate handmade embroidery into his art practice, offering a unique rendering that contrasts industrial and mechanical production with traditional handweaving techniques associated with local artisans.
The result of these haphazard yet pertinent combinations is a powerful portrait of a sense of belonging and the very essence of the people. By their very conception, these portraits give new life to materials considered as waste. Kwaku Yaro reuses these obsolete elements, infusing them with new narratives, purposes and meanings. He conscientiously places this imagery at the center of his compositions. These bags, produced in India, find their way to Ghana, where they serve as containers for the transportation of various raw materials. Cocoa beans, charcoal, onions – all this versatility testifies to the complex dynamics of global trade, local economies and the life cycle of raw materials. These elements represent a metaphor for the dreams, aspirations and resilience of the people who work with these materials, using a powerful visual language that resonates with the past and present.
Like Stephen Johnstone’s exploration of “The Everyday“, in which he challenges traditional art forms, Kwaku Yaro reshapes the way we look at the materials used in art. Around these objects, notably polypropylene carpets, carrier bags and jute sacks, he constructs an engaging and stimulating dialogue involving the public. These formerly ignored elements are used to materialize Kwaku Yaro’s perception of reclamation and reimagining. In “Look at What You’ve Seen“, the contemporary artist engages the public’s interest in these wastes, an evolving preoccupation, and proposes a new vision of perceiving their use as elements that can still be used. Giving new life to these materials, Kwaku Yaro enables them to convey new stories, while raising visitors’ awareness of innovation in terms of reinvention.
