Threads Of Past And Present

About

In his most recent work on view in Threads of Past and Present, the artist’s first solo show at Gallery 1957 in London, Tawiah offers a celebration of camaraderie, friendship, family and major public figures, both living and deceased, during a moment when human kinship is needed more than ever. Through these new paintings Tawiah resurrects the spirit of people, things and events that have since past and imbues them with new life—with a loving and immortal presence. The artist’s body of 17 new works, include several paintings portraying the two Ghanaian friends. Depicted regularly by Tawiah, they are also practicing artists who are currently studying fine art at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Tawiah captures them on Accra’s famed Labadi beach strolling hand clasped in hand dressed in fashionable attire once worn by his grandfather.

On the inclusion of floral elements into his new body of work, the artist explains, “These are flowers that I saw when my mother’s body was being put into her grave,” he explains. “They are flowers people threw at her form as it was being lowered into the ground as a sign of respect. I remember all of the flowers I saw on the graves at the cemetery.” A rich use of flowers in these new works thus refer to the joy of living,  the beauty of the natural world and commemoration for those no longer with us.

Eric Adjei Tawiah (b. 1987) is a Ghanaian artist and alumnus of the prestigious Ghanatta College of Art and Design in Accra, Ghana. Tawiah is known and revered for his unique approach of using nylon sponge for vibrant figurative representations. Adjei Tawiah lives and works in Accra - Ghana, where he is inspired by his community and surroundings. His unique technique which he has labeled “Sponge Martial” – is a practice inspired by the cleansing of his mother’s corpse in the mortuary. Tawiah channels this idea of cleansing through his work, the bright, vibrant colors a representation of the bright moments that follow the darker times in life. Tawiah hopes by developing his artistic voice - his work will serve as a source of inspiration to humanity through times of affliction.

About Gallery 1957
Based in Accra, with a London outpost opened in 2020, Gallery 1957 has a curatorial focus on West Africa. Presenting a programme of exhibitions, installations and performances by the region’s most significant artists, the gallery serves as a vital platform, promoting West Africa’s presence within the art scene by hosting ambitious exhibitions, providing resources for residencies and participating in international art fairs. Founded by Marwan Zakhem in 2016, Gallery 1957 has evolved from over 15 years of private collecting. The gallery now hosts three spaces in Accra – one in the Kempinski Hotel and two in the Galleria Mall – and a London outpost in Hyde Park Gate.