Nubuke Foundation is proud to present ‘Up to No Good’, a solo exhibition of recent works by Na Chainkua Reindorf at our gallery in Accra from 19th November to 18th February 2023.
As part of the body of works entitled ‘Mawu Nyonu’, Na continues to explore her interests in storytelling woven around strong mythical female characters whose conceived identities she sometimes covets.
Modelled on the highly skilled, fearsome, all-women military regiment who, for centuries, guarded the King of Dahomey (now Benin), Na also draws on the knowledge systems embedded within Vodun Cosmology also from Benin.
The composition of each work is a conceptual application of the Asafo flags associated with militia companies of Fante communities in the Central Region of Ghana. Na borrows from their bold and compelling motifs and collage elements, and creates her own visual language, drawing the viewer into a magnetic vortex of surreal mystic and intrigue.
Na also use the familiar Kente – hand-woven textiles strips of Ghana – to frame these ‘stages’ in which her characters are immersed.
In another reference to masquerade culture, an imposing eye found in the corner of each work holds the gaze and connects the viewer to the mythical characters which dominate them.
With names like Bomi, Evor, Gedu, etc. depicting freedom, prowess, inner strength, her camouflages are conversely empowered and emboldened. Na Chainkua is an artist with incredible skill. Her undaunted application of the colour spectrum is achieved with such precision and mastery. She also works in diverse materials – creating mixed medium and sculptures using textiles, fibres, beads and clay.
Na Chainkua Reindorf is a BA(Honours) graduate of Grinnell College, Iowa and MFA Cornell University, New York, USA. She is also an alumnus of the Nubuke Foundation YGA programme. Her works are currently showing in Black Star: The Museum as Freedom – the Ghana pavilion at the 59th edition of the Venice Biennale until 27th November, 2022.
Nubuke Foundation
Nubuke Foundation is a private visual art and cultural institution based in Accra, Ghana. Founded in 2006, it serves as a nexus for arts and culture across the country while supporting the artistic practice of Ghanaians: young, mid-career and experienced. Programming includes exhibitions, art talks, seminars, workshops and spaces for drama, poetry, music and film collaborations. Nubuke Foundation is a member of the Arts Collaboratory Network.
Arts Collaboratory
Arts Collaboratory (AC) is a network of twenty-five diverse arts organisations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Europe. AC is a trans-local ecosystem, focusing on art practices and processes of social change, and working with communities within and beyond the arts.
