Gallery1957 announces Gideon Appah’s representation of the Ghana pavilion at the 23rd International Exhibition at Triennale di Milano. The ambitious new body of work, titled A Nubian Landscape, reflects themes and narratives that Appah has explored over the last three years, whilst also newly exploring figures inspired by the indigenous Nubian population of the central Nile valley, believed to be one of the earliest cradles of civilisation. The exhibition complements his current show Gideon Appah: Forgotten, Nudes, Landscapes, on view until June 19, 2022, at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University (ICA at VCU).

Appah draws from personal experiences in the capital of Accra, presenting artistic archives of communal life in family settings, a visual journey through the individual and collective memories defining his West African childhood. He creates artworks wherein surrealism meets domesticity and folklore meets religion. In new-otherworldly works, Appah’s compositional range is evident in both the city and in domestic scenes: they feature figures in positions of leisure and depictions of rituals in areas where land and sky meet.

*Gideon Appah in Studio Accra. Image courtesy of the artist and Gallery 1957*

Where are you now? Are you in Ghana?

Yes, I’m in Ghana at the moment, preparing for the exhibition at the Milano Triennale.

You work with Gallery 1967, what is your experience as a represented signed artist rather than an independent artist?

Being signed to a gallery affords you many opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have, including visiting places like Milan Triennale. It also means adjusting to specific deadlines and working hand in hand with other artists, which I enjoy. The gallery has propelled many artists’ careers and credibility, including mine, that I’m proud of. I believe representation is incredibly important to the art world – especially in Ghana.

How long ago did you get signed by the gallery? When did you feel you were successful? What does success mean to you?

I was brought on by the gallery in 2018. Success for me is being able to do precisely what you want, irrespective of whether it works or not, and simply believing in yourself while leaving room to develop and grow. My work is based on experimentation, as you will see in this new series, and I’m still redefining myself - I think my practice is very expansive in that sense.

What is a typical day in the studio like?

I start my day at the studio at 10 am by drawing on paper or painting and close at 6 pm. Some days, I may not even get to work at all, which can get frustrating because you come to the studio with all this energy to make art, and it's just not working out. When this happens, which isn’t often, I close my studio, go home, and come back the next day to tackle it.

*Gideon Appah, The gathering, 2022, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 183 x 224 cm 72 18 x 88 14 in. Courtesy Gallery 1957*

How do you begin a new piece of work?

I paint from my imagination, leading with bright colors like blues and white scales, and now working with reds – so it’s very experimental with color. I sometimes take photographs of old buildings and the sky, display them with a projector onto a white canvas, sketch, and paint.

What are the artists that have a big influence on your work? I know that you are a keen student of Black portraiture, and you are influenced by Berkley Hendricks and Charles White.

Yes, and there are a whole lot of artists that influence me, like Kerry James Marshall and Bob Thompson. There's also Joseph Yoakum, who isn’t well known. I have friends who say that I remind them of certain artists, and they send me books. A dear friend of mine sent me many books on Modigliani and Klimt. He said I remind them of these artists.

Could you describe your studio?

I have two studios. My first very small studio is where most of my work is located but the other space holds all my latest canvases; and is where I’m gradually adjusting to work from indefinitely. I have a deep sentiment toward the smaller studio, though, and would like to keep that one for life because it’s where it all started – the very beginning of my art career.

Tell us about your exhibition “A Nubian Landscape” at Triennale di Milano.

I put together a selection of works inspired by what I love—landscapes with figures and horses, and then landscapes only. We’re showing seven paintings, but four pieces being shown were made in 2020, so I’m excited to reintroduce them in Italy.

And what are your intentions for this work? What is the message you wanted to give?

I want people to come and enjoy it. See the works and have your own experience and ideas about them. I have my story, but what about yours? I want people to escape to the world they create while viewing.

*Gideon Appah, The Nobles Home, 2022, Oil on canvas 220 x 200 cm 86 58 x 78 34 in. Courtesy Gallery 1957*

I was very fascinated by your painting Roxy, because it is based on screenshots from African films. I am so curious to know more about the underground cinema in Africa.

They were based on post-colonial cinemas where people were hanging out at that time. Ghana was becoming very exposed to outside influences, and men typically wore many suits at that time, which I wanted to highlight. They were a big part of popular culture too. I have this huge collection of newspapers from about 40 or 50 years ago, dating back to the 1960s and 70s, that these paintings are based on.

What about the current art scene in Ghana?

A lot is happening, and there’s an emergence of young artists producing great work, especially in portraiture. We don't have a lot of institutions or galleries, but you have these individuals who are very determined and ambitious to make something great regardless.

Do you collaborate with other artists in Ghana? Do you meet up?

Yes! Just yesterday, I went out with a friend of mine. We had dinner for about three hours and talked about art while bumping into friends. I haven't collaborated with other artists yet, but we'll see what the future holds.

What visions do you have for the future?

I want to develop a new skill and add sculpture to my oeuvre, in addition to creating installations more significant in scale. After Milan, I'm looking forward to what the next year will look like for me. I have all this time from now to next year to build up a lot of work and keep the momentum going.

What are you thinking of using to experiment with?

I want to work more with my hands and raw materials, specifically found materials from Ghana. I need to learn sculpture. I'm not a sculptor, but I’m willing to learn and feel I will enjoy it.

What advice do you have for other artists starting now?

Do what you love and do it well. It's important. I've had so many failures, especially in the beginning when I was still figuring myself out, but I found my way with practice and revisiting those mistakes to refinement. It's all part of the process. Find yourself.

Folkloric African Art at the 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition with Gideon Appah

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