Paintings can be a powerful tool for broadening images of blackness. They have the capacity to convey a variety of representations of Black people, cultures, and experiences. By creating and sharing paintings that depict Black people in a variety of settings and contexts, artists can challenge stereotypes and help to create a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of what it means to be Black.
Many artists celebrate Black lives and experiences, bringing the “unseen” image to the fore. Among them are Lubaina Himid, Sonia Boyce, Amy Sherald, and Oluwole Omofemi.
A Ghanaian artist named Hamid Nii Nortey explores contemporary identity depiction through an African perspective in his works. His solo exhibition, What We Do Makes a Difference, explores the narrative of what it is to be an African in the 21st century.
Nortey’s works depict youthful optimism in intense color. These works convey messages that have global relevance, such as global warming, LGBTQ identity, and government corruption. Many youths of Nortey’s generation deal with these issues. The artist also emphasizes the portrait of personal freedom and social change.
Talking to You is the Favorite Part of My Day (2023) portrays a modern-fashioned couple enjoying Champagne in a car trunk picnic. This painting is so soothing, dominated by blue and white. It is not only pleasing to the eye but also captures the everyday life of a young Ghanaian.
Youth in Action (2023) depicts two young black men standing. The one wears a shirt with “Youth in Action” inscribed on it and the other holds a poster assert youth as having the power to make changes. Young Ghanaians also have concerns about political issues, as depicted in this painting.
Social changes are also depicted in System Change, Not Climate Change (2023). A man in a suit holds a newspaper with a headline about climate change and “There is no planet B.” It demonstrates how young Ghanaians, along with young people around the world, struggle to change the world into a better place.
Many of Nortey’s paintings tell about friendship, relationships, and the power of community (Vicki Sleet, Exhibition Catalogue), such as Ride Out (2023), All Rights Reserved (2023), and Enjoy Today is One of the Good Old Days You Will Remember (2023). The bright colors that the artist uses suggest an optimistic mood. The patterns on the subject’s skin add much more intensity to the emotion.
Hamid Nii Nortey is an artist from the millennial generation (born in 1987) who captures young black figures in their everyday lives and concerns. Nortey was raised in Ghana in a traditional Ga multigenerational home. His life has been most significantly impacted by the multigenerational nature of his upbringing, which was primarily anchored by powerful black female characters.
What We Do Makes A Difference is on view at the Christopher Moller Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa, 23 March–4 August 2023. Viewers can also explore the online exhibition through August 4, 2023.