Following Senegal, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire, ellipse art projects (EAP) has chosen Ghana to host the fifth edition of its prize, this year under the theme “Butterfly Effect”.
Selected from 82 candidates by a jury of contemporary art professionals, Sena Burgundy, Reginald Boateng, Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, Nana Frimpong Oduro, and Dela Anyah have been given the opportunity to present their work in a collective exhibition at a key venue in the local art scene. This unique showcase highlights shared inspirations while celebrating each artist’s distinct style.
Inspired Reflections
While their expressions range from somber to lighthearted, the five artists share a focus on themes of humanity, identity, and the human condition.
Sena Kofi Appau, aka Sena Burgundy, draws from the Latin adage “nosce te ipsum” (“know thyself”), filling his work with blue figures symbolizing introspection and self-discovery. Nana Frimpong Oduro explores human fragility through darkly poetic, surrealist imagery—silhouettes emerging from water, holding oil lamps to navigate the shadows.
Reginald Boateng tackles metaphysical and societal issues, including a striking work on water contamination caused by illegal gold mining. Environmental concerns also permeate the works of Emmanuel Aggrey and Dela Anyah, who use recycled materials to interrogate sustainability challenges like industrialization, overconsumption, and climate change.
Eclectic Practices
Beyond shared themes, the artists exhibit creative inventiveness across diverse mediums.
Sena Burgundy, Reginald Boateng, and Nana Frimpong Oduro each craft graphic and dreamlike universes. Sena Burgundy channels his imagination—fueled by cinema and music—into pictorial works, while Reginald Boateng and Nana Frimpong Oduro have chosen photography. The former, who began his practice with an iPhone, unfolds a saturated, colorful world inspired by the textures and hues of Kente cloth. The latter, whose work prominently features aquatic elements, employs evocative chiaroscuro.
Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku and Dela Anyah stand out for their use of repurposed materials. Aggrey transforms discarded textiles into sculptural works using traditional dyeing and weaving techniques, while Anyah recycles tires, inner tubes, and license plates into abstract compositions inspired by African basketry.
Talents to Watch
The exhibition amplifies these emerging artists’ visibility nationally and internationally, aligning with EAP’s mission to spotlight early-career creators.
The Prix Ellipse 2025 winner, announced on June 4, will receive a production grant and exhibit at Paris’s AKAA Fair (ALSO KNOWN AS AFRICA) from October 24–26, one of the largest platforms for contemporary African art. Who will it be? Stay tuned!
