IBRAHIM MAHAMA’S ‘PURPLE HIBISCUS’ -BARBICAN, LONDON
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IBRAHIM MAHAMA’S ‘PURPLE HIBISCUS–BARBICAN, LONDON
12 JULY 2024
What would it take to envelope the entire lakeside terrace of the Barbican Centre ? Approximately 2000 square metres of bespoke woven cloth by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama. ‘Purple Hibiscus’ has been created in collaboration with hundreds of craftspeople from Tamale in Ghana where the colossal panels of pink and purple fabric have been woven and sewn by hand, to be fitted to the brutalist planes of the building.
100 ‘batakaris’ – robes worn by Ghanaian kings – were embroidered onto the artwork. Often saved by families over generations, these precious textiles carry the imprints of the figures they once clothed, signifying the continued relevance of intergenerational knowledge. Ibrahim Mahama holds a deep interest in the life cycles of textiles and what can be learnt from the historical memories embedded within them. ( Barbican Centre) Ibrahim Mahama’s tapestries are intriguing, not only in their execution, but the composition of material and the stories that they weave both historically and currently. The artist is famous for his compositions that merge and overlap materials as they do socio-political issues that are prevalent in his country, Ghana.
Critical to the artist’s practice is the collaborative process by which he collects, remakes and installs his materials, involving artists, artisans, architects, technicians, traders, scaffolders, bureaucrats and executives, among others. (White Cube Gallery) Ibrahim, in his work, looks back retrospectively towards Ghana in the 1960's post-independence and brimming with positivity, his home country was optimistic in its view of the future, but that all broke down, as it has in many African nations, something he tries to address in his work.
In this specific sense, AAA, being based in Africa, appreciates the relatable content of Ibrahim’s work as he seeks to deconstruct the social and political reasons why a continent with such promise has flatlined and in some cases regressed.
Art drives us to examine the circumstances that affect life around us, and Ibrahim Mahama, through his art, has created an environment that encourages such thought. At just 37 years of age, we look forward to more of his work and following his artistic journey.
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