October 18 - November 16, 2024
RAPHAEL ADJETEY ADJEI MAYNE
BE HONEST, UNTITLED
Mayne’s work combines vibrant portraiture with the symbolic world of Ghanaian Adinkra, exploring themes of identity, diaspora, and transnational experiences by intertwining personal and cultural narratives. His ongoing Faceless series, which emphasizes body language and posture, prompting viewers to reflect on the individuals depicted, has earned him international acclaim. The textiles used by Mayne, however, carry a highly political charge that is closely linked to Africa's colonial history and the intertwining of global trade routes. The fabrics perceived as traditionally West African were actually developed by the former colonial power, the Netherlands, as imitations of Javanese batik fabrics and are still distributed by them in West African countries today. They thus reflect the shared, tumultuous history of Europe and Africa.