Contents
Ibrahim Mahama
The artist whose vast installations of used sacks reveal the labour and trade carried by ordinary materials.
Out of Bounds · Parliament of Ghosts
- Born
- 1987
- Birthplace
- Ghana
More people
Ibrahim Mahama
Ibrahim Mahama repurposes objects linked to Ghana’s economic history. His practice also includes cultural institutions that provide space for local learning and other artists.
Early life
Tamale
Born in northern Ghana.
Art education
Studied at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
Career
- 2010s
Material installations
Developed large works using worn jute sacks.
- 2015
Venice Biennale
Presented Out of Bounds.
- 2019
Institution building
Opened the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art.
Selected work
Out of Bounds
Covered architectural surfaces with commodity sacks.
Parliament of Ghosts
An installation assembling traces of Ghanaian public life.
Purple Hibiscus
A monumental textile installation at London’s Barbican.
Beyond work
Community infrastructure
Established Red Clay and other educational spaces in Tamale.
Material histories
Works with collaborators to trace the use and movement of found objects.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Career and work — whitecube.com ↗Photo: Bea Phi. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
