Boafo's first solo museum exhibition

The Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, Texas features the first solo museum exhibition of Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (b. 1984), considered one of the most influential artistic voices of his generation. From May 27 to October 2, Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks will present more than 30 works by the painter created between 2016 and 2022. Among them is a mural made especially for the museum.

The title of the exhibition is inspired by a groundbreaking ethnographic study by U.S. sociologist, philosopher, journalist, civil rights movement contributor and Pan-Africanist W.E.B. Du Bois. In it, Du Bois conducted research that coined the term »double-consciousness.« It describes the concept that black people must constantly look at themselves through the eyes of others. The subjects depicted in Boafo's paintings also represent the nuances and complexities of black lives worldwide. Conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant resistance to systemic oppression, the active struggle against anti-black rhetoric, and the commercialization of black bodies in the media are just a few themes that underscore the urgency and relevance of this exhibition.

Amoako Boafo is known for his figurative art and the vibrant use of color in his portraits. His work actively focuses on »black joy,« black perspectives, and radical self-care as the foundational framework for his artistic practice. He uses his paintings as a forum to articulate the connections and cultural intersections within the black diaspora. Despite the physical and emotional tension of Boafo's painting, his subjects appear confident and unflinching. His paintings are deeply personal and intimately connected to his experience as a Ghanaian artist living and working both in Vienna and Accra. His works serve as a means of self-preservation - a celebration of his identity, black people, and blackness itself.