Amoako Boafo’s UK solo debut at Gagosian London celebrates black identity and ghanaian roots
Gagosian presents I Do Not Come to You by Chance, a powerful solo exhibition by Amoako Boafo at their Grosvenor Hill gallery this April.
Amoako Boafo, 2024, Artwork © Amoako Boafo. Photo: Gus Sarkodee. Courtesy the artist and Gagosian.
Gagosian London is set to host I Do Not Come to You by Chance, the first UK solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo, opening 10 April 2025. Titled after the novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, the show features a suite of new paintings and a striking full-scale recreation of the courtyard from Boafo’s childhood home in Ghana. The exhibition design was developed in collaboration with Glenn DeRoche of DeRoche Projects, extending the artist’s commitment to storytelling through spatial transformation, and drawing on his recent residency project in Ogbojo, Ghana.
AMOAKO BOAFO, I Do Not Come to You by Chance, 2025, installation view. Artwork © Amoako Boafo. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. Courtesy Gagosian.
Renowned for his evocative finger-painted portraits, Boafo uses his art to celebrate the richness and complexity of Black identity. His works challenge stereotypes by portraying his subjects—often friends, family, or himself—with dignity, intimacy, and strength. The exhibition includes deeply personal pieces, such as Self-Portrait with Cacti (2024), a large-scale depiction of quiet domesticity, and Black Cycle (2025), which ties visual motifs from the paintings into the surrounding installation. Each work invites viewers into a space of introspection, vulnerability, and resistance to one-dimensional narratives of Black life.
AMOAKO BOAFO. Black Cycle, 2025. Oil and paper transfer on canvas. 82 3/8 x 86 5/8 inches (209 x 220 cm). © Amoako Boafo. Photo: Joe Humphrys. Courtesy Gagosian.
The exhibition unfolds across three rooms, culminating in a freestanding, double-sided painting within a sculptural enclosure inspired by the Adinkra symbol nkyinkyim, signifying resilience and movement. The courtyard installation, central to the show, serves as both a literal and metaphorical foundation—echoing the communal, creative spaces of Boafo’s upbringing. Referencing Ghanaian artists and cultural traditions, the exhibition transforms the gallery into a shared space of memory and cultural affirmation.
Date:10 April - 24 May 2025. Location: 20 Grosvenor Hill London W1K 3QD. Price: Free.
