Africa Prime Initiative - Ghanaian Artists' Grant Application
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the grant program for emerging artists, organized by Gallery Soview and the Africa Prime Initiative (API). Congratulations to the following artists for their outstanding contributions:
Arthur Emmanuel Afriyie, Quarshie Dela, Elroy Salam, Baahwa, Mary-Jo Adjetey
Their promising talents enrich and inspire the Ghanaian art scene. Each of these artists will receive a grant of USD 2,000 to create new works, develop their artistic careers, and exhibit their creations at Gallery Soview in September 2024.
We would like to thank all the participants for their applications and their dedication to the arts.
The winners of the grant program for emerging artists, organized by the Africa Prime Initiative (API) and Gallery Soview and
MARY-JO ADJETEY
Mary-Jo Adjetey explores the cyclical nature of life and human experience through her series
Interwoven. Inspired by the 2024 remake of Dune, she questions the interconnectedness of individual
actions and their impact on the collective. Her works, featuring abstract faces and circular motifs,
symbolize the fluidity and repetition of natural and human cycles. Rise & Set and Eclipse capture this idea of transition and harmony through a sophisticated visual language.
ELROY SALAM
Elroy Salam, with his series Brewed Reflections,The Poetry of Ataya, captures intimate moments at the heart of the traditional Ataya tea ritual. Salam uses photography to encapsulate instances of personal and communal reflection. His piece, Sugar High, features a figure in a state of inebriation, symbolizing both the physical and metaphorical effects of the tea. The figure's disconnection from reality, juxtaposed with the serene tea-brewing ritual, underscores the duality of escapism and enlightenment within this cultural practice, all while celebrating culture and identity through this social tradition.
QUARSHIE DELA
Dela Quarshie, with Elucidated Presence, pays homage to the complexities of the feminine experience. Drawing from his personal relationships with the women in his life, Quarshie explores femininity through anthropomorphic hybrid figures. He plays with the color orange to express the duality between the fragility and strength inherent in his characters, creating a vibrant yet introspective atmosphere.
BAWAAH
Baahwa, in her photographic project Dear Woman, deconstructs linear beauty standards while celebrating the diversity of Black women. Combining natural portraits with intimate storytelling, Baahwa invites a rethinking of beauty through authenticity and self-acceptance. Her work highlights the multifaceted nature of femininity through the lens of Ghanaian culture.
ARTHUR EMMANUEL
AFRIYIE
Arthur Emmanuel Afriyie, on the other hand, presents two series of works that illustrate his unique artistic approach. In Lit by Dreams, he uses recycled materials to depict a young boy illuminated by his ambitions, despite the obstacles. His second piece, Ethereal Skies, created with a bleaching technique on fabric, delves into a poetic abstraction of Ghanaian realities. Arthur combines technical innovation with narrative depth to offer works that are both visually striking and conceptually rich.
