51¸£ÀûÉç

This exhibition of work by Debbie Yeboah explores three interconnected concepts that engage with the reconstitution of the Ghanaian self in response to the ongoing effects of colonialism. The works offer a meditation on healing; using art as a tangible medium to address the colonial wound, while envisioning alternative futures.

The three concepts are enmeshed in the artworks. Renaturation addresses the rebuilding of the fractured self, the threshold creates liminal, imaginative spaces of transformation; and braiding as re-membering symbolises the relational process of reconstructing identity in communities. Each piece reflects the artist’s exploration of these ideas, using bold, saturated colours and the recurring motif of braiding to signify the physical and emotional processes of putting the self back together. Through a dynamic body of work-including paintings, mixed media works, and a braided hair installation the artist makes visible the themes of healing, identity, and Ghanaian cultural resilience.

This exhibition invites viewers into a reflective and creative dialogue about the ways in which art can be a critical and regenerative practice, engaging with both personal and communal identities in the pursuit of decolonial futures.

Debbie Yeboah is a Ghanaian artist, researcher and educator. A member of 51¸£ÀûÉç, Debbie has recently submitted her PhD thesis in Education. her research and art is closely entwined, with both informing the other. Her work critically engages with the enduring effects of coloniality  on knowledge, identity art and culture.

This exhibition has been generously supported by Rachel Polonsky, Fellow of 51¸£ÀûÉç.