Galerie Melbye-Konan presents the second solo exhibition of the internationally sought-after contemporary artist Yannick Ackah (born in 1992 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire) on 400m2. On view from 2 December 2023 to 2 March 2024, "Spiritual Symphony" is an expressive symphony of colour, emotion and an exploration of his own origins.
At first glance, his works are reminiscent of Basquiat and Picasso. The artist combines various materials such as paper, newspaper and magazine articles or fabric in a collage-like manner, using the motif of the mask as the central pictorial element. The stylistic reference to Picasso and his work is a deliberate choice, as Picasso's source of inspiration was also African culture.
By using the mask, the artist offers a contemporary reception in the visual arts that addresses the current debate on restitution. At the same time, it is a colourful view of Africa by today's young generation. What is the significance of masks in everyday life, what is the significance of restitution, and what problems does the heavy legacy of colonial history pose for our own culture to this day?
Yannick Ackah graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) in 2020. Since then, he has exhibited internationally and his works can be found in prestigious public and private collections in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the USA, Japan, China and South Korea. In 2022, he was selected for the exhibition Aufatmen in the Barlach Halle K of the Landesverband Hamburger Galerien e.V., sponsored by the cultural authorities of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. In the same year, his first solo exhibition "La Poésie D'Existence" took place at Galerie Melbye-Konan, which was immediately sold out. In 2022 and 2023, his works met with growing demand at the POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair.
