Accra’s Gallery 1957 unveils a compelling solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist Awanle Ayiboro Hawa Ali, titled Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds. Curated by Nana Yaa Poku Asare-Boadu, the exhibition follows Ayiboro’s ten-month residency with the gallery and presents a striking narrative that captures the lived realities of marginalized young women in Accra. The show runs from February 15 to March 29, 2024.
Through this latest body of work, Ayiboro explores the intersection of power, gender, and survival, drawing inspiration from Édouard Manet’s assertion: “We must accept our own times and paint what we see.” Her subjects—the Kayayei girls, female porters who migrate from northern Ghana, and the Girly Girls, sex workers operating along Oxford Street—exist within the margins of Ghanaian society, yet remain vital contributors to its economic landscape.
In Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds, Ayiboro employs a distinctive visual language that juxtaposes men’s suiting, nudity, and Baroque aesthetics, challenging entrenched notions of class, morality, and representation. The exhibition raises critical questions: What does it mean for these women to be both exploited and essential? How does their contribution reshape Ghana’s socio-economic narrative?
The Kayayei girls endure relentless labor to sustain Accra’s bustling markets, ensuring the seamless flow of trade and commerce. Meanwhile, the Girly Girls navigate a profession shrouded in societal judgment, yet their resilience underscores the informal economy’s dynamics. Ayiboro’s work captures this duality, highlighting both struggle and agency.
A significant aspect of the exhibition is its recontextualization of Baroque influences, a historical art movement often associated with opulence and grandeur. Ayiboro’s reinterpretation suggests a dialogue between past and present, drawing attention to how colonial histories and economic exploitation continue to shape contemporary African narratives. Her semi-opulent compositions contrast with the stark realities of her subjects, making a powerful statement on the complexities of representation and historical erasure.
The exhibition is a deeply collaborative effort. In partnership with curator and artist Nana Yaa Poku Asare-Boadu, Ayiboro invited the women she portrays into her studio, fostering a space of trust and self-expression. Asare-Boadu’s photography captured the raw essence of these women’s experiences, which Ayiboro then translated onto canvas, ensuring that their voices remain at the core of the artistic process.
With Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds, Awanle Ayiboro Hawa Ali challenges viewers to reconsider prevailing narratives surrounding womanhood, labor, and power in Ghana. By positioning these women’s stories within a broader historical and cultural framework, she asserts their significance—both in the past and the present—offering a poignant reflection on resilience, identity, and agency.
