By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)
The colour black - which is often associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, rebellion, aggression and mystery - is at the centre of an ongoing exhibition by Yibor Kojo Yibor at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.
Black, which is also associated with the unknown, equally has a negative connotation owing to words and expressions like blackmail, blacklist, black holes, black out and black magic. Nevertheless, it is also required for all colours to have depth and variation of hues.
Over forty wooden sculptures by Yibor that are in alterable forms, are painted black and stand upright in a circle at the foyer of the Institut. Interspersed with black rectangular metal cases, which also house three sculptures, they indicate various stages of the life of the artist – birth, adolescence and old age.
Yibor aka Sir Black is obviously infatuated with the colour black – within the circle of sculptures are installations of black personal items spread evenly on black cloth. These include rice, combs, towels, plates, pens, cutlery, brushes, deodorants, and mirrors among others that visually reference his day-to-day life.
Tucked conspicuously in the courtyard is a gigantic wooden frame also covered with black cloth, which houses a black baby cot and an upright standing black coffin set against a rather dark interior thereby creating an uncanny feeling of “presence / absence”, “physical / spiritual” and “light / darkness”.
The exhibition, which largely comprises works in progress - is characterized by micro stories that are laden with installations. Indeed, they are “ambiguous” and “unambiguous” while posing questions relating to objects and subjects in a performance space.
He hangs a series of mirrors in black wooden frames in varying degrees on walls while glass and metal cases designed like pinhole cameras sit on stools where messages can be read through two little holes or read portions of a book on sale.
Yibor is an artist working across painting, sculpture, installation and spoken word. Using images, text, sounds, and objects, he is interested in exploring the notion of self-examination within three dimensions – “then”, “now” and “after”.
Acclaimed Ghanaian sculptor Kofi Setordji opened the exhibition, which is being supported by the Goethe-Institut. Titled “With.Out / With.In”, it ends on Friday March 29, 2019.
cool article . I love the color black too . some say it is not a color though lol
greatness abound; this exhibition… each piece of exhibited item birth muLtipLe iLLustrations and this is nothin’ but reaL Poetry physicaLized.
dope articLe to describe this exceLLence