'Why must Blackness always be about pain and suffering?' asks Amoako Boafo as he opens his first show in London

Amoako Boafo’s rise to art stardom is known for its meteoric swiftness that, unlike many before him, turned from a high-risk boom to a steady career. The art fair and auction headlines of 2019 and 2020 have evolved into an internationally touring museum show ‘Soul of Black Folks’, receiving worldwide acclaim and representation by one of the world’s most powerful galleries Gagosian, alongside Mariane Ibrahim.

This week he opened ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ in London, his first in the city and the exhibition promises to showcase not only new paintings but also to celebrate the artists’ home city of Accra, Ghana and the artistic community that supported his rise.

Taking its name from the novel of the same name by the Nigerian author Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, the exhibition sees Boafo explore his family history and the creative life and community. Encompassing installation that brings in elements of paintings on view, this show sees the private artist sharing more of his life and story than he ever has in a gesture that celebrates his friends such as artists Aplerh-Doku Borlabi, Kwesi Botchway, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, and Eric Adjei Tawiah, his life and his history.

Boafo is famous for his celebration of Black joy, combining traditional finger painting techniques with transfer and a Schiele-like eye for portraiture; he focuses solely on portraits celebrating people he knows and is inspired by. His figures, painted onto canvas and also wood, stare confidently at the viewer, smiling or are observed in leisure. There is an undeniable power in the loving endorsement of his sitters and the palpable politics in the work which communicates on many levels.

While Boafo’s life is international - he trained at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design in Accra and then the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna - he is dedicated to his hometown, where he shares a studio with fellow artists and friends which he has expanded on with his residency and exhibition space, nearby dot.ateliers. Designed by his collaborator in the design of this exhibition, architect Glenn DeRoche of DeRoche Projects the space provides space and resources to local artists in a city that has few public services.

Amoako Boafo on the inspiration for his new show

You have named the exhibition after the novel ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, you often use the titles of novels in your work. What is the relationship between literature and your work?

When I moved to Vienna, I found myself thinking about my Blackness in a way that I never had when I was in Ghana. Books that discuss the Black experience helped me find something to connect with. This show is actually the first time I have used the title of a book to name my exhibition; I usually reference them in my paintings or take inspiration from them for my painting ideas. Reading books was a luxury that I couldn't afford to enjoy growing up, and when I finally had the chance and the time to do it, it really helped me understand the bigger picture of what I wanted to achieve with my paintings.

What is the significance of ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’?

The book tells the story of the sacrifices a young Nigerian man made to take care of his family. I like how it challenges what we consider good and bad, who we consider smart or not, and how we define success. I think it not only fits with my commitment to showing different ways of looking at Blackness, but it also gives words to my experience as a Ghanaian artist who found a path to success in order to take care of my home. At the same time, the show represents my commitment to taking care of myself.

This is your first solo show in London. What does it mean to you to be showing this work here, now?

It's always been important to me to have my paintings in spaces where more people can experience them. For my first show in London, people will see everything I've developed over the years in these new paintings—my techniques, how I treat backgrounds, the textures, and even the wood grain. It will also include some of my largest paintings to date. However, I also wanted to recreate the courtyard where I grew up because that's where I first learned how to paint. London is a great place to celebrate and reimagine that space at full scale. Having the resources and support to make something this ambitious possible really means a lot. Bringing the courtyard where I learned to paint to life inside the gallery—and having it now house my paintings—is something truly special.

Why is it important to show Black joy?

Why must Blackness always be about pain and suffering? For me, painting is essentially about documenting and celebrating Blackness. The main idea behind what I do is to paint people I like, people who inspire me, people who create spaces and opportunities. I want the figures in my paintings to be strong. I want them to be free. I want them to be unapologetic. In the courtyard I’m recreating, life wasn’t always easy, but it was rich - full of life, lessons, laughter, and conflict. Joy came through sharing, through learning, through being seen. By showing Black joy, I’m saying that our stories are not only about pain or survival - you’ll see in my paintings that they’re also about intimacy, celebration, relaxation, and play.

You previously collaborated with Glenn DeRoche on dot.ateliers in Accra, Ghana, and you're now working with him again on the new show. Why was it important for you to establish dot.ateliers in Ogbojo, and what made Glenn the right person to help bring your vision to life?

It’s important to give back to the community that inspired you to do what you do, and who continue to support and appreciate your work. It was always a passion of mine to create spaces for creatives to grow in. The art ecosystem in Ghana was still quite small, but there’s an incredible amount of talent there and across the African continent. I had the feeling that if there were more opportunities for artists, people wouldn’t automatically think they have to go to Europe to make it.

Working with Glenn again felt natural after our collaboration on dot.ateliers. He understands my vision of creating environments that blend community and artistic practice. His design for the new show allows me to push my work beyond the canvas, but most importantly it offers new ways of exhibiting my works beyond the traditional white wall hanging.

You are bringing autobiographical elements into the exhibition with references to your upbringing and your friends and collaborators in Accra. Why was it important to do this now?

It’s a deeply personal process, but it feels necessary. It’s a way of showing my development as an artist and a person, while also presenting my culture and history as an essential part of that journey. There’s a vulnerability in sharing these elements, but also strength. Sharing my success and bringing as many people as I can along with me, feels essential. It’s about making sure the people who inspire me are part of the journey too.

The scene in Accra is filled with energy, it's exciting and unique. What do you think Accra can teach London?

I think the way people experience community in Accra is different; it’s more engaging because people share space much more than they do here. I wanted to include the courtyard in the show to represent the influence that it has had on me and my career. I learned a lot in that space by interacting with everyone who lived in the compound. Even though we did not have much, we were resourceful because we had one another. With this installation, I want Ghanaians living in London to be reminded of what is back home.

Amoako Boafo's exhibition, I Do Not Come to You by Chance, is at Gagosian London from April 10–May 24, 2025

gagosian.com