Nadia Waheed, Backdrifters, 2022, Oil on canvas

Courtesy: Gallery 1957 & The Artist

Launched by Marwan Zakhem on Ghana Independence Day, 2016, Gallery 1957 has since expanded across three gallery spaces within Accra, dedicating its programme to spearheading international exchanges between contemporary West African art practices and the rest of the world. Gallery 1957’s London space opened in October 2020 and provides a further platform through which to exhibit Gallery 1957 artists working across Africa and the diaspora.

Presenting a programme of exhibitions, installations and performances by the region’s most significant artists, Gallery 1957 bridges the gap between local and
international audiences. Beyond its roster of diverse artists and exhibitions, global gallery partnerships and the establishment of the artist residency programme have welcomed many international artists and arts professionals to Ghana, encouraging them to engage further with the country’s rich contemporary art scene.

Gallery 1957’s work expands beyond the gallery walls through a public programme that includes fairs, talks, off-site projects and site-specific installations commissions as well as the publication of books and catalogues – continuously supporting cultural initiatives in Ghana, and beyond.

In 2021 the gallery launched the first ever dedicated art prize for women artists living and working in Africa: the Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, which aims to further strengthen its commitment to and promotion of emerging and established artists across Ghana and the diaspora.