La Foundation for the Arts is proud to be announcing the launch of their YOUNG ARTISTS SERIES, which will be marked by the opening of Land of The Morees, a solo exhibition by image-maker Jude Lartey.
The series awards a promising Ghanaian artist, 25 years or under, their debut solo exhibition at La Foundation for The Arts’ gallery and showcase space in Accra. The initiative came about as a way to provide a launching pad for the exceptional talents we have in Ghana, who feel forced to seek opportunities abroad due to a perceived lack of support and infrastructure. Speaking on the initiative, Executive Director Chantel Akworkor Thompson further explained:
The premise of this initiative is to demonstrate to everyone the benefits of artistssharing their creative practice at home, where it was first conceived and where it will best resonate with the audiences. Whilst we understand that at present, the opportunities abroad for artists are more lucrative, we are also aware of how damaging some of those experiences can be for artists. Furthermore, if we continue as a country to ignore the talent we have and allow them to flee for ‘greener pastures’ we lose hope of reaching our full potential. The idea of a brain drain will quickly become a reality if there are not more solution-driven initiativesthat create the infrastructure and support necessary to stop the high levels of artistic and creative extraction that we are witnessing.
-Chantel Akworkor Thompson
Exhibiting an ongoing photo documentary project which began in 2022, Jude Lartey, who describes himself as an image maker will become the first recipient of the YOUNG ARTIST SERIES. He is one of many creatives throughout Ghana who has been scouted by numerous agencies abroad and has had many opportunities to contribute his voice to the growing canon of contemporary photography produced in Africa, and more specifically Ghana, which seems to be leading the charge on what some have called an African Renaissance.
The exhibition will hopefully help provide Ghanaians more hope that there are avenues to have their voices heard and their creative talents nurtured and rewarded in the country.
The photo-documentary series, Land ofthe Morees, was selected by La Foundation’s director london-born curator Chantel Akworkor Thompson due to the reverence with which it depicts Moree: a coastal fishing village in the Fante region of Ghana – described by Nana Owiredu Apreko I, Dabieben of Asebu, (who writes the introduction to this exhibition), as the epicentre of fishing in West Africa.
She also believes that the collection perfectly demonstrates how artists in Ghana can contribute to history making and the preservation of culture and traditions through their art making. Noting the success and international reception of the work, which has already been profiled in publications such as NOWNESS, Vogue Photo, Blanc Magazine | New York NY and gained him recognition by LensCulture, being named a finalist of their Portrait of the Year award 2024, she is confident that the exhibition will be a great inspiration for young , up and coming photographers in Ghana.
Acclaimed author Nii Ayikwei Parkes, who contributes a critical essay : ‘Legacies of Light’ to this exhibition states that Land of the Morees offers a profound exploration of the lives of the people in the coastal town of Moree, captured through Lartey’s lens with a remarkable blend of respect, dignity, and humanity, far removed from stereotypical and exploitative representations. He highlights how Lartey’s photographs radiate an interior, autonomous life, offering viewers an intimate glimpse into the true essence of the town’s residents, stating that:
Each photograph in the exhibition tells a unique story. From the fisherman glowing with interior completeness” to the kids immersed in play, and the washerman balancing basins with effortless grace, Lartey’s work captures moments of everyday life that are both extraordinary and profoundly human. As Parkes notes, “what Lartey gives us is different… this is their light, their water, their legacy, their nets, their blue, their glow, their world – Land of the Moree.
-Nii Ayikwei Parkes
He goes on to conclude that:
‘This exhibition marksthe beginning of a promising career for Jude Lartey. His keen eye and deep relationship with light are evident in every photograph,showcasing a respect for history and humanity that resonates deeply..His photographs are a testament to the dignity and joy of the people of Moree, offering a poignant reminder of ourshared humanity.’
-Nii Ayikwei Parkes
The exhibition will run from Thursday August 1st, 2024 – Thursday 12th August at La Foundation’s exhibition space, located beneath Suncity Apartments, 144 La Road, Accra, Ghana.
Land ofthe Morees has been generously supported by Spectrum Photo, an imaging lab in The UK, who have printed the photos for the exhibition. In addition to this Mixam, a leading online printing platform, have donated the printing of 50 catalogues. Those feature a critical essay by Nii Ayikwei Parkes, an introduction by Nana Owiredu Apreko I, Dabieben of Asebu, and a Q & A between curator Chantel Akworkor Thompson and Image-Maker and Young Artist recipient Jude Lartey. 20 copies will be donated to art institutions across Africa.
About La Foundation For The Arts:
Founded by Safoa Aïsha Cablye-Gaisie, La Foundation For The Arts (LAFA) is a non-profit service organisation with an unwavering commitment to advancing, realising, and preserving the vision of emerging and unrecognised art workers and administrators in Ghana through meaningful relationships with the wider African diaspora.
LAFA’s primary objective is to create new, sustainable opportunities and to empower individual artists by providing critical support, professional development tools, and resources for defining and achieving career success.
About The Artist:
Jude Lartey is a self taught Ghanaian image-maker known for his cinematic scenes which are illustrations of the new identities of his generation’s; dreams, fashions and evolutions. Both his fashion -rooted and documentary style photography capture the authenticity of the people he meets and the environments in which he encounters them. By placing importance on accurately presenting unique cultures he is able intertwine everyday storytelling into his cinematic snapshots. Key themes explored within his work include new age masculinity in Africa. And Lartey is keen on using his lens to shape the perspective of masculinity. Lartey’s has worked with magazines, brands and publications in the likes of GQ, Vogue, Dazed, Adidas, Burberry, Levi’s, Converse, The Guardian, NPR, etc. He is young mirror to an era and culture.
About The Curator:
Chantel Akworkor Thompson
Chantel Akworkor Thompson is an independent curator and educator based in Ghana. She has curated shows in Accra, New York and Paris, working predominantly with african artists, including Amoako Boafo, Adjei Tawiah & Aplerh-Doku Borlabi. Founder of Beyond the black canvas, she amplifies the voices of black artists and supports early-career artists in Ghana, bridging the knowledge gap between home studio and the international art market. Through her art collection, she aims to create a visual archive of her lived experience as a British born Ghanaian, documenting the moments that have shaped her identity. She also worked on the world reimagined project (the UK’s largest national art project for racial justice) and was an associate at the what if experiment, who support organisations within the creative industry to build cultures of accountability with an anti-racist lens.
For media enquiries please contact: akworkor@lafa.org.gh and enquiries@lafa.org.gh
