Roberts Projects in Culver City, California, has launched I Bring Home with Me, a new exhibition by acclaimed Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo. Opening on January 17, 2026, and running through March 21, the show marks Boafo’s third solo presentation with the gallery and offers a fresh exploration of Black identity and community through portraiture and immersive design.
Central to the exhibition is an architectural re-creation of Boafo’s studio in Accra, Ghana, built to scale inside the gallery space. Developed in collaboration with architect Glenn DeRoche of DeRoche Projects, this detailed installation embodies the vibrant creative energy of Boafo’s cultural roots. The studio space serves not only as a backdrop for the paintings but also as an interactive site that invites visitors to experience the environment where the works were conceived and to reflect on the importance of community and cultural memory.
The title, I Bring Home with Me, reflects Boafo’s artistic process of capturing and carrying with him images, sounds, stories, and people that influence his sense of place and identity. The exhibition features a series of new portraits rendered in Boafo’s signature style—finger-painted, layered with patterns and paper transfers, and infused with bold, gestural marks that draw on 20th-century modernism while celebrating contemporary Black subjectivity. His subjects range from friends and acquaintances to public figures and imagined characters, all portrayed with an emphasis on emotional depth and self-expression that challenges stereotypical narratives.
Architectural elements within the gallery, including patterned wallpapers, grid windows, and room dividers, dissolve traditional boundaries between interior and exterior, private and public. A wooden folding panel sculpture inspired by the Adinkra symbol nkyinkyim (meaning twisting or resilience) frames some of the paintings, reinforcing themes of adaptability and strength.
Beyond the studio installation, surrounding gallery walls present works that interweave Boafo’s family history with broader Ghanaian cultural narratives, creating a layered dialogue between personal and collective memory. The figures are often depicted in moments of rest, play, or contemplation, inviting viewers to engage with their interior lives.
Amoako Boafo (b. 1984, Accra) has quickly become a leading voice in contemporary African art, known for his vibrant portraits that celebrate the diversity and complexity of Black identity worldwide. His works are held in prominent public collections, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris.
The collaboration with DeRoche Projects reflects a shared commitment to creating spaces that resonate culturally and socially, blending modern design with indigenous traditions and sustainable practices. This exhibition offers not only a showcase of Boafo’s evolving figurative language but also a rich sensory experience that highlights the intersections of art, place, and community.
I Bring Home with Me is open to the public at Roberts Projects from January 17 to March 21, 2026. The opening reception takes place on January 17 from 6 to 8 pm.
