How African art is coming of age in Dubai – News

Yaw Owusu’s work, on view at Efie Gallery until December 20, showcases a provocative dialogue around the transience of money

African art is coming of age in Dubai, with galleries such as Efie Gallery showcasing contemporary artists from across the continent.

Work by Ghanaian artist Yaw Owusu – whose first solo exhibition in the Middle East is titled In the Cool of the Day – is on view at the gallery until 20 December.

Born in 1992, Owusu creates installations that repurpose found objects, transforming otherwise worthless materials into encounters that challenge the political landscape. Using ready-made objects in steel, gold, silver, copper, foil, sheet and coins, these processes permeate all layers of trade, exchange and labor history, questioning the foundations of the contemporary economy.

London-based art consultant and curator Kami Gahiga organized the exhibition, featuring 10 new works created during the artist’s July residency at Dubai’s Efie Gallery.

Gahiga is a member of The Baer Faxt Art Advisory, a bespoke art advisory service to private collectors, companies and institutions, a recipient of an MA in First Distinction Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, and one of the brains of Will Ou SU introduces Dubai and the Middle East

Owusu’s creations are influenced by Emirati culture and artists such as sculptor Dr Mohammad Yousif, and have been exhibited at Sharjah Art Museum, Al Shindagha Museum, Etihad Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Studies in cultural institutions such as De Mosque, with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Institute of African Studies and Middle Eastern Art.

“My time in Dubai provided the basis for experiencing the fascinating culture and history of the UAE. Far beyond written and media descriptions of the place, encounters and visits to cultural institutions, I was also inspired by the wisdom of Dr. Yousif, Because I spend a lot of time with him.

“This period has shown me a journey to reveal the identity of people and their culture. These revelations have inspired my processes and thoughts, as well as the new forms realized during the residency. The work created during this period has grown from the luxury I initially assumed and materiality are transformed into more detailed descriptions of historical references to architectural forms, trade and exchange along the Arabian Gulf coast, and religious and cultural interlinkages.

“These pieces are more about the people, their history and culture, and how they respond to their land than just bland representations of beauty and affluence,” he said.

Coins are an integral part of Owusu’s artistic expression.

“The use of coins in my work, especially the smallest denominations, references fundamental forms of value. By juxtaposing these denominations from Ghana, the United States, and the UAE, I place my relationship and understanding of value in a critical questioned. These coins, most of which are of minimal value or barely used, serve as a new catalyst for an in-depth study of the economic and political dynamics of these places. As these are the objects of established trade and exchange, I use them together to reflect contemporary realities surrounding labor The complexity of global economic dialogue with wealth distribution, and the bridge between symbolism and meaning. Currency or currency itself is metal, paper, and more recently plastic, and my work questions at what point they become valuable or not. I’m also interested in what place does to objects. By physically transferring the Ghanaian peswa and the US penny to the UAE, what does it become? Likewise, what happens when the Emiratis leave for another place? These are about places Questions of the power of nature and its relationship to materiality and value fascinate me and inform my work,” he said.

He uses different currencies to spark conversations about the changing and ephemeral nature of value in different economic and cultural contexts.

For example, in 2007, Owusu’s native Ghana introduced a new denomination to stem rising inflation at the time and as part of celebrations of the country’s 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule. The least known denomination, the 1 pesewa, lost its value and fungibility shortly after its introduction.

“Currency produced by the Royal Canadian Mint became the object by which I could question our economic and political independence. The basic fact that an independent country does not mint or produce its own currency motivates my work. On the other hand, the United States The penny has a similar phenomenon of use and value. Interestingly, it has a portrait of US President Abraham Lincoln on it, which refers to the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the United States at the end of the 19th century. By using these coins, which used to be 100% copper, but are now 97.5% Zinc and 2.5% copper-plated coins with portraits on all obverses, I situate the realities of modern emancipation within the socioeconomic and political context of questioning labor and reward, equality and respect in America,” he added.

Some of his works such as “The Power of Imagination”, “Golden Hour”, “Believe”, “Out of Nothing” and “Infinity” were completed before his residency in Dubai.

“My imagination is based on the beauty and ambition of the UAE to build such a beautiful country. My work celebrates the undeniable intelligence and intent of a place of limitless possibility, wealth and opulence. Building a country so bold, I can only appreciate the beauty of hope and the beauty of ambition. These works, in composition, palette and form, reflect the beauty embodied in the UAE. Encounters with Emiratis, and visits to cultural sites and museums during my residency, revealed the new People, culture and history beyond the city. These have inspired my latest creations such as Gone with the Wind, Singing Dunes, Cool Days and Morning Sun,” he said.

Owusu’s creation, Heart of a Place, embodies his journey to conceive a solo exhibition in the region.

“It has all the elements from my original imagination, my encounters in the UAE and everything in between. It celebrates the UAE with its grand scale and vibrancy, its rich culture, people and places. The piece is 16 feet wide and tall 8ft, carries the presence and respect of people and their abilities, while inviting an invitation to local realities that transcend the boundaries of imagination. In this essay, I explore architectural forms, from history to technological advances, and textures. The land itself reflects In the tone and warmth of the palette, cultural elements are presented through motivation and form at the same time. In the end, it is nothing but a true reflection of the past, present and future of the soul of the place and its people,” he added.

Based in New York and Accra, Ghana, Owusu was the recipient of the Kuenyehia Contemporary Art Award in 2018 and is currently an artist-in-residence at the San Diego Institute of Contemporary Art’s 2022-23 program.