Joseph Awuah-Darko (b. 1996, London, UK; lives and works in Accra, Ghana) is a British-born Ghanaian contemporary artist best known for his multi-disciplinary practice of painting and woven tapestry work. His practice autobiographically references major broader themes of depression [mental health], spirituality and identity, as well as procreative sexuality.
Behind some of the most important movements historically, you find that African art is at the root of it,” says Joseph Awuah-Darko. “I think we are now coming to understand that African art does deserve the attention it’s getting.”
Beyond acrylic paintings, Joseph earnestly employs interdisciplinary techniques rooted in local poster design with works on canvas. Additionally, Ghanaian basket weaving and European tapestry-making are also engaged to create both abstract and loosely figurative works that depict symbols of spirituality – rendered in the dystopian beings he describes as Sentinels which famously reference the Akuaba fertility doll originating from Akan culture in Southern Ghana. Often depicting moments of conflict or amorous harmony, Awuah-Darko pulls influences from African literature, Ashanti poetry, and internalized cognitive dreams played back to himself.
The tapestry process usually begins through the weaving of found plastic which is a material he deliberately utilizes in acknowledgment of its complex history. Plastic acts both as an industrial friend and environmental foe given its domestic use yet peril towards the environment respectively. With a documented autobiographical history of suicide attempts, Awuah-Darko’s work presents idiosyncratic visions of the perennial battles with mental wellness and identity, while also alluding to the complicated histories of capitalism and systemic policing.
Joseph utilizes segments of weaved Ghanaian basket-making, and commercial dyes and incorporates satin roses to create the figurative elements within the conceived large-scale woven tapestries. Influenced by artists such as Henri Matisse, Magdalene Odundo, El Anatsui, Andy Warhol, and Atta Kwami, he repetitively investigates emotion through form and shapes, interlacing reality with his singular magical escapist dream state often aligning with his global view. The artist emphasizes a sense of community as he attempts to increasingly place artisanal everyday Ghanaians in the center of his artistic production as a key attribute to his creative proliferation.
