In an atmosphere imbued with art, technology and psychology, Compound House Gallery presents the exhibition JOJO ABDALLAH: PSY-TECH, a personal exploration of the contemporary artist orchestrated by Robin Riskin. The event, which runs until July 28, offers the public the opportunity to admire Jojo Abdallah’s recent works and immersive archive at the National Museum of Ghana in Accra. This fascinating presentation subtly blends painting and mixed media, offering a striking glimpse into the artist’s artistic universe.
The evocative title “Psy-Technology” derives from a work Jojo Abdallah hand-crafted for the occupational therapy department of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital in Adabraka. A native of Accra and steeped in diverse horizons, the African artist is an explorer of quantum worlds, whose creations open doors to alternative realities. Deeply inspired by Ghana’s cultural, political and spiritual universe, he weaves captivating tales where history and imagination meet in harmony.
Jojo Abdallah studied arts and crafts at the Ghana Technical Secondary School (GSTS) in Takoradi, and planned to continue his studies in fine arts at the College of Art, KNUST in Kumasi. For the past 45 years, he has maintained a studio at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where his role oscillates between that of patient, staff member and artist-in-residence. He expresses his deep passion for art by declaring: “Art is something I can’t give up. Even as I get older, you’ll see me drawing. It’s a lifelong commitment, a divine gift that’s so precious to me that it’s hard to part with it, unless I lose my identity.“
The exhibition “JOJO ABDALLAH: PSY-TECH” marks the artist’s third collaboration with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, this time offering an in-depth curatorial exploration of his artistic practice. Through his paintings, he illustrates scenes drawn from the daily life of psychiatric hospitals, traditional rituals, natural sciences and eclectic spiritualities. These works offer an original vision of peoples, places and practices, suggestively blending reality and fiction.
Jojo Abdallah’s utopian historical paintings tell moving tales of nation-building, tradition preservation, growth and faith, exploring themes ranging from hope to terror to healing. For this contemporary artist, art transcends the realms of everyday life, transforming doctors and plumbers into artists, and commercial spaces into places dedicated to crafts, culture and gastronomy.
The exhibition “JOJO ABDALLAH: PSY-TECH” offers schizophonic curatorial content that reflects the fragmented and fused vision of artist Jojo Abdallah, expressing the duality of contemporary visual and sound media. Through a spellbinding acoustic and textual tapestry, characters who have crossed the path of the Ghanaian artist come to life, materializing his art. The voices and perspectives of artists, writers, doctors and designers mingle, offering a plurality of truths about Jojo Abdallah’s artistic practice.
The central aim of the exhibition is to question alternative psychological states and shift attention away from the established social norm. By highlighting Jojo Abdallah’s clinical state, the exhibition invites us to question our certainties in curatorial knowledge and explore the diversity of personal realities. It also raises the possibility of museums transcending conventional boundaries and exploring the polyrhythmic tools of marginal worlds.
As part of the exhibition, Kpanlogo music therapy sessions will be organized in collaboration with Nii Noi Nortey and the MUZIKI group, in addition to the provision of psychological resources and support from the Ghana Mental Health Authority. Partners such as the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, blaxTARLINES KUMASI and Robin Beth Inc. will also provide cross-sectoral support for this artistic initiative.