In the artist’s own words:
I treated this series of work as a deep meditation on where I’ve been, what my eyes have seen, and where I’ve planted my feet in my city, Accra. I take snapshots with my phone, which I use as reference for digital paintings. It is about the past as much as it is about the present. It’s a romanticized depiction of the city through the lens of nostalgia. The impressionistic style enhances the sense of nostalgia because it presents the landscapes I’ve presented dreamlike.
In my practice, I’ve explored and documented people and their present identities. Those themes are still found here. This time, it is about documenting the framework that shapes the city’s inhabitants.
The sound of the city is as important to this body of work as much as music is important to my practice. Music has helped with my dissociation from the realities of the city. A sound installation accompanying each piece pushes this idea further. We hear the busy sounds of the sites’ painted progress into warped versions of themselves. The project involves 10 on site installations that allow the viewer multiple ways to engage with the work.
“1:53 PM, Accra” invites us to reflect on our own relationships with the cities we inhabit. Through this body of work, Accra becomes a canvas upon which we project our collective aspirations, memories, and dreams.