Ibrahim Mahama
Ghana
b. 1987, Tamale, Ghana
Lives and works in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, Ghana
Concerned with value, global commerce, and the detritus of colonialism, artist Ibrahim Mahama is best known for his installations engaging critically with Ghana's past and present. Among his most celebrated works are large-scale installations made from redolent non-art materials including jute sacks. Made in Southeast Asia before being imported to Ghana, the sacks are used in markets and to transport goods such as food, coal, and charcoal. To Mahama, they represent a complex system of global exchange and freedom of movement afforded to goods over people. He often works with collaborators to stitch tattered sacks together to create an enormous patchwork, then draped over buildings including theatres, museums, and apartments.
Mahama’s work has been presented on major international platforms including the Sharjah Biennial (2023), Sydney Biennale (2020), documenta 14 (2017), and the 56th Venice Biennale (2015). He lives and works in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, and is the founder of artist-run initiatives Red Clay Studio and Savannah Centre for Contemporary Arts (Tamale).
