Celebrated Ghanaian artist and Absa L’Atelier Ambassador, Michael Jackson ‘MJ’ Blebo, is currently showcasing his solo exhibition ‘A Thatch of Ochres’ at the Noldor Residency Gallery in Accra. This distinctive installation, which runs until August 16 2024, is presented in collaboration with the South African National Association with the Visual Arts (SANAVA).
According to Michael Blebo, ‘A Thatch of Ochres’ explores the subconscious and represents a post-Wakanda utopia, where signs become critical forms. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the adakadan, a multi-disciplinary site-specific installation and time capsule named Space Travel. “It explores an indigenous traditional culture where I incorporate modern materials like mirrors and glass to fuse in a traditional way of building,” he said.
According to him, “It’s also related to awareness and sustainability. We all know in our country that the price of cement has hiked, and we are pushing back the kind of materials we are using to build our homes,” he noted. “I realised that Ghana has about a 1.2 million deficit of homes. I believe this is a perfect place for architects and the government to also explore these ideas in the education of the children and the older residents,” he added.
Senior Specialist: Art and Museum Curator at Absa Group, Dr. Paul Bayliss, praised the exhibition, saying: “We are proud to support the arts on the continent and recognise the importance of stories like MJ’s and the people of Ghana, told through art. The Absa L’Atelier is a testament to our brand promise of ‘Your Story Matters’; and we are excited to bring this exhibition to Ghana, where it will undoubtedly resonate with art enthusiasts”.
The Absa L’Atelier art competition is hosted annually by Absa in partnership with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA). Every year emerging visual artists from across Africa are given the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Additionally, the competition offers them a platform to explore themes and contemporary issues, while setting the stage to bring their possibilities to life. Artists, aged 21 to 40, who are citizens, permanent residents and living in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, are eligible to enter the competition.
‘A Thatch of Ochres: A Solo Installation by Michael Jackson Blebo’ can be experienced at the Noldor Residency Gallery in Accra, Ghana, from July 12 to August 16, 2024.
The Absa L’Atelier competition is about affording artists with the relevant skill-set to develop and thrive as artists in a forever-changing world.
One must only look at the past winning artists who have become ambassadors to see how winning the Absa L’Atelier has helped to launch their careers and grow their craft on a global stage.
Artists, aged 21 to 40, who are citizens, permanent residents and living in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, are eligible to enter the competition.
