Ever since Lebanese-born British gallerist, Marwan Zakhem, started Gallery 1957, he has been intentional in his support of Ghanaian artists. His plan to ensure artists of Ghanaian descent have a sustainable career with the necessary resources and platforms at their disposal is in the interest of the emerging art scene in Ghana.
After years of collecting art, what inspired Zakhem to start Gallery 1957 was visiting Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey’s studio in Labadi in 2015. Kempinski Hotel in Accra was the first space to host the gallery when it opened in 2015. It was in this space that Zakhem showed and commissioned works from artists like Clottey, Mahama, and Yaw Owusu.
Clottey’s show “My Mother’s Wardrobe” was the first exhibition that Zakhem curated in 2016 after he started Gallery 1957. Zakhem’s work with the gallery has evolved over the years as he has continued to invite curators, journalists, and collectors to see what is on view, connect with the artists and to witness the buzzing cultural scene of Ghana.
“We did all of this to make sure they knew that this country was great and that the artists coming out of it were even greater,” Zakhem said in his conversation with ARTnews.
Since the opening of its doors, Gallery 1957 has expanded to include three spaces: one on the grounds of the Kempinski Hotel, another in the Galleria Mall, and a third at Hyde Park Gate in London. The gallery has also acted as a catalyst for success for the African artists, on their roster or not.They have participated in as many international art fairs as possible to provide international visibility to artists. The artists on the list has also increased significantly as it now includes artists like Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté, Collin Sekajugo, Juwon Aderemi, Annan Affotey, Cornelius Annor, Gideon Appah, Aplerh-Doku Borlabi, Kwesi Botchway, Lord Ohene, Joana Choumali, Gerald Chukwuma, Serge Attukwei Clottey, Tiffanie Delune, Godfried Donkor, Salah Elmur, Modupeola Fadugba, Isshaq Ismail, Nabeeha Mohamed, Kaloki Nyamai, Joshua Oheneba-Takyi, Peter Ojingiri, Yaw Owusu, Afia Prempeh, Eric Adjei Tawiah and Arthur Timothy.
Image courtesy of ARTnews
According to Zakhem, 1957’s “founding ethos is its commitment to supporting and promoting emerging and established artists across West Africa and the diaspora. I am passionate about what I do with the gallery. I am passionate about the artists that I represent. I am extremely passionate about Ghana’s cultural ecosystem and the part that it is playing in this revival of contemporary African arts.”
As a curator, Zakhem runs the gallery as more than just a commercial gallery. From the beginning, he has exhibited inclusive and diverse works from boundary-breaking artists like Clottey, best known for his ‘Afrogallonism’ which involves stitching together pieces of yellow cans used for carrying water to create installations; Konaté, best known for his abstractions from fabric; and Sekajugo, known for his incorporation of recycled materials, especially fabric in his works. With Gallery 1957, Zakhem has invested in the growth of African artists from Ghana by taking care of their tickets, visas, and medical bills and providing accommodation for them. He has also invited African artists outside Ghana to enjoy these privileges.
The gallery has facilitated – and continues to do so – many other initiatives that are intended to develop Ghana’s art scene. The Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, which started in 2021, was one such initiative and it was started to support female artists from Ghana and its diaspora. There is also the coveted gallery’s residency program that gives artists the opportunity to focus on working on their craft for up to a year. At the end of the residency program, the artists are exhibited by the gallery.
So far, Zakhem’s commitment to connecting African artists – emerging and established – to the global audience without the inconvenience of leaving home has been incredible for the contemporary African art scene in Ghana and in Africa, in general.
