The solo exhibition “I Have Arisen… Part 2” by Zohra Opoku is on view at Mariane Ibrahim in Paris through June 3, 2023. The exhibition is the artist’s first in Paris and is a continuation of her series, The Myths of Eternal Life, which began in Chicago in 2022 with Part 1.
In this series, Zohra Opoku acts as a curator of memory, bringing the past into the present through material means. She is interested in sewing the past into the present, blurring the line between artifact and reference. Zohra presents us with a literal interpretation of memory, each piece telling a unique story of the past and its continuation into the present.
Myths of Eternal Life borrows its structure and language from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, an ancient text that provides instructions on preparing for the afterlife. Zohra Opoku‘s beaded brass pieces scattered throughout the works depict her, melted and blown away by the wind, eventually hanging from bare tree branches or settling on the silkscreen of her face in profile. The pieces adorn her past incarnations with their eventual divine manifestations, marking her for eternal life.
In one work, Zohra Opoku appears in a ghostly, winged form, similar to the human-headed bird called “ba” in the Book of the Dead. The title of the work, “Maat is in my belly with the turquoise and earthenware of her monthly festival“, evokes her resistance to linearity, simplicity, and the confinement of incarnation and mortality. She references another passage from The Book of the Dead: “I give myself my mouth (so) that I may speak with it in the presence of the gods of the Duat,” emphasizing her gift to herself of a voice that speaks of her integrity across past, present, and future lives.
Zohra Opoku‘s work in The Myths of Eternal Life is an invitation to explore the complexities of memory and its connection to past, present and future lives. Through her material interpretation, she weaves together the different threads of her life, connecting her past, present and future. Zohra’s exhibition is a testament to art’s ability to convey meaning and emotion in a way that is both visceral and challenging.
In conclusion, the exhibition “I Have Arisen… Part 2” by Zohra Opoku invites us to explore the complexities of memory and life after death. The exhibition continues the artist’s series, The Myths of Eternal Life, which borrows its structure and language from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Through her work, Zohra Opoku creates a literal interpretation of memory, sewing together the past and the present, blurring the line between artifact and reference. Her exhibition is an opportunity to see that art has the power to convey meaning and emotion in a way that is both visceral and challenging.