We are so thrilled about this group presentation. Each and every artist submits a unique and stunning viewpoint of their practice and working with Sosa has been a joy. Her curatorial eye is fantastic and she has brought a fresh perspective to the ADA space. These are the kind of collaborations that mean so much to us and our field.– Adora Mba

The Alchemy of Colour and Matter examines how each artist manipulates materiality and colour to imbue their work with meaning, creating pieces that transcend their raw components and emerge as powerful symbols of genealogy, self-expression, and sanctuary. I look at these compositions and I know exactly who these women are.– Sosa Omorogbe, Curator

The exhibition is a continuation of The 1897’s nomadic exhibition format, whilst ADA contemporary extends its record of meaningful global collaborations. Curated by Sosa Omorogbe, Founder of The 1897, the show will be on view in ADA contemporary’s Accra space from 13 March – 27 April, 2025.

In line with International Women’s Month, The 1897 and ADA contemporary art gallery are pleased to present “The Alchemy of Colour and Matte”, a group exhibition of six exceptional contemporary female artists whose works delve into the profound interplay of materiality and colour as expressions of identity, heritage, and sanctuary..

Engaging with diverse mediums including textiles, painting, sculpture, and mixed media, their works mirror the ancient practice of alchemy, where raw elements are transmuted into something new. Through layered surfaces, intricate textures, and symbolic narratives, each artist explores the fluid nature of existence, embracing cycles of fragmentation, reconstruction, and renewal.

Araba Opoku and Mimi Adu-Serwaah weave psychological and material transmutation into their works. Opoku’s
multidisciplinary approach, informed by her background in psychology, unravels cognition and identity through textile, painting, and performance, capturing the fluidity of perception. Adu-Serwaah, working with wire mesh, raffia, and metallic pigments, embraces imperfection and resilience, where fragmented elements come together to form something whole. Her reflective surfaces shift with light, reinforcing the tension between strength and vulnerability, destruction and rebirth.

Na Chainkua Reindorf and Roisin Jones engage in world-building and adornment, transforming materials into vessels of myth, memory, and devotion. Reindorf constructs imagined universes where identity and masquerade merge, challenging societal norms through sculptural installations and intricate tapestries. Jones, drawing from her travels and childhood memories of collecting fabrics and beads, approaches adornment as a sacred act, layering textures and patterns to create multi-dimensional compositions that bridge the earthly and the divine.

Sika Amakye and Tizta Berhanu navigate the emotional and ancestral realms of transformation. Amakye’s practice, deeply rooted in secondhand textiles and intricate beadwork, serves as a portal to memory, community, and the fluidity of self, echoing cycles of preservation and renewal. Berhanu, through her swirling brushstrokes and evocative colour palettes, captures human emotion in its most elemental form, where figures dissolve into tides of pigment, embodying the alchemical process of emotional and artistic transfiguration. Together, these artists redefine materiality, proving that art, like alchemy, is a continuous act of metamorphosis.

This exhibition invites audiences to reflect on the interplay of substance and tone in shaping our own understanding of self-perception; while together, each work forms a storytelling mosaic of creativity, offering a shared space of comfort, strength, and contemplation.

The Alchemy of Colour and Matter, a collaboration between two African women-led enterprises, underscores the vital contributions of women in the continent’s art market, while exemplifying the power of partnership in amplifying diverse and often forgotten voices in fostering cultural discourse.

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