Following the passing of the acclaimed artist Owusu-Ankomah in February of this year, October Gallery presents an exhibition of selected core works from 2008 – 2014.
Freedom Rising: The Art of Owusu-Ankomah comprises intriguing large-scale paintings on canvas which depict an alternative world abounding with symbols and monumental human figures. Reflecting the artist’s own spiritual journey, the way in which these figures interact with the surrounding symbols has developed through several distinct phases over time. When starting out, Owusu-Ankomah’s work drew largely on ancient African traditions of rock painting and masquerade, before his figures shed their masks and became mute actors afloat in an ocean of signs. Employing a studied trompe l’oeil effect, the powerful figures’ finely sculpted bodies are themselves covered in similarly painted glyphs. These cause the figures to melt into the background forest of signs, where the hidden figures move within a symbolic realm that surrounds, supports and inevitably defines them. Originally, the accompanying signs were all derived from the adinkra symbol set embodying the traditional wisdom of the Akan people of Owusu-Ankomah’s native Ghana. However, over time symbols from other sources and diverse cultures have also been added, including many novel glyphs devised by the artist himself.
Owusu-Ankomah writes: For me, these paintings are all about the power of freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of self-expression, both as individuals and societies. I compose my paintings using the expressive power of the symbols themselves, taking full account of their deeper meanings, ensuring both visual and conceptual harmonies exist between the forms and the overall themes explored on each canvas.
