From 18 January to 5 May 2025, The Holburne Museum in Bath will present I Have More Souls Than One, a solo exhibition by Ghanaian-British artist Joshua Donkor. Known for his evocative portraiture that interweaves personal and collective histories, Donkor’s work delves into themes of diaspora, belonging, and cultural heritage.
A Deeply Personal and Layered Approach to Portraiture
Born in the UK in 1997 and raised in Bath, Donkor has gained recognition for his intricate and deeply personal portraits. His art explores the complexities of dual identity, particularly as a mixed-race individual navigating two cultural backgrounds. By incorporating family photographs, textiles, and personal objects into his compositions, Donkor creates multi-layered works that blend painting and print techniques.
“All of the work that I have done up until this moment has always been about diaspora, displacement, and being between two cultures,” Donkor explains. “There always is a duality, especially being mixed race, that makes a huge difference because you are literally a byproduct of two different races but also two vastly different cultural backgrounds.”
This introspective approach allows Donkor to challenge conventional narratives of Black identity and present a nuanced representation of individual and generational experiences.
A Homecoming Moment at The Holburne Museum
For Donkor, showcasing I Have More Souls Than One at The Holburne Museum is a significant milestone. Growing up in Bath, his earliest exposure to art was through institutions like the Holburne, where he attended workshops as a child.
“Exhibiting this body of work at the Holburne Museum feels like a real full-circle moment for me,” Donkor shares. “To think that I will now have the opportunity to share my own paintings and stories in this space is incredibly special for me and my family. I hope my paintings will resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds, helping to tell their own stories of family history and inspiring a new generation of storytellers.”
Engaging with the Museum’s Colonial Legacy
As part of The Holburne Museum’s broader initiative to engage with its historical ties to colonialism, Donkor’s exhibition offers a contemporary perspective on representation and heritage. Running alongside Iconic: Portraiture from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol, Donkor’s work provides a compelling dialogue on identity and legacy.
Chris Stephens, Director of The Holburne Museum, expresses enthusiasm about Donkor’s return:
“We first worked with Joshua in 2022, presenting a number of recent works in a residency at The Edge Gallery at the University of Bath. The power and potency of his work is remarkable, and we’re delighted to be working with him once more, introducing his art to wider audiences at the Museum this spring.
A Counterpoint to Traditional Portraiture
While Iconic explores the impact of photography and celebrity culture on 20th-century portraiture, Donkor’s exhibition grounds itself in personal and historical narratives. His works challenge the Western canon by incorporating African textiles, archival imagery, and cultural motifs, offering an alternative vision of contemporary portraiture that emphasizes lived experience and generational memory.
Through I Have More Souls Than One, Donkor invites viewers to reflect on their own connections to identity, family, and cultural heritage, creating a space where personal histories come to life through art.
I Have More Souls Than One will be on view at The Holburne Museum from 18 January to 5 May 2025. For more information, visit www.holburne.org.
