Amoako Boafo

Known for his vibrant and expressive portraits centred on themes of Black identity and culture, Amoako Boafo uses his artistic practice to survey Blackness in all its multitudes. Born in 1984 in Accra, Ghana, Boafo studied at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design. His distinctive style and subject matter have earned him international acclaim and a prominent place in contemporary art.

Boafo’s work is characterised by its bold use of colour and texture, which he achieves through a unique finger-painting technique. This approach allows him to convey a sense of intimacy and immediacy in his portraits, capturing the essence of his subjects with remarkable sensitivity and depth. This can be found in his most well-known Black Diaspora series where he takes friends, acquaintances, individuals that inspire him as his subjects. His powerful, concise style expresses the vibrancy of daily life with an easy familiarity, touching on topics such as community collaboration, social and political struggles, and the intimacy between like-minded friends.

Fusing a distinct method of depicting the Black experience with a style influenced by artists like Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, Boafo seeks to investigate and celebrate what being Black means. His references to the art historical canon can be seen therefore as a challenge to the dearth of Black subjects throughout history. In the same tact, artists like Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Kehinde Wiley draw comparisons, as does Boafo’s handling of monochromatic compositions refer however tangentially to the oeuvre of the late Barkley L. Hendricks.

Boafo’s rise to prominence in the art world has been marked by his astounding auction market debut in 2020 with his portrait The Lemon Bathing Suit (2019) sold for £675,000. Following that, he was named by Artsy as one of ‘The Most Influential Artists of 2020’. Since then, Christie’s sold his 2018 work Hands Up (2018) for HK$26,650,000 — a world auction record for the artist.

The artist’s contributions have been widely celebrated and collected by major institutions and private collectors worldwide. His work is included in the collections of renowned museums such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and more.