This obsession has transformed into something far bigger, with the arrival of his gallery Zakhem hopes to support local artists and foster a local market, “all of the local artists that are on the verge of succeeding or have succeeded have done it in a way that I believe to be the long way round,” he says. “They’ve had to get up and move countries to go to LA or Berlin or London despite their inspiration coming from their home country.”
This is also despite the fact that the art market has been calling African art ‘The Next Big Thing’ for a while now. Zakhem has seen solid evidence that the market is gaining traction too: “I was collecting pieces for less than $500 that are now going for $15,000,” but despite the universal praise accorded to contemporary African art fair 1:54 in New York and London, or the arrival of “Focus: African Perspective” at New York’s Armory Show this weekend, there is less going on on home soil. “we’ve been calling African art the next big thing for I don’t know how long. But I’m hoping that this will solidify,” says Zakhem, “Being a collector, it doesn’t make me an expert, but it makes me a part of the art market and a connection for these artists and I think I have a good chance of succeeding with a commercial gallery in Ghana,” he continues.
Zakhem may not be an expert, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim certainly is. Creative Director of Gallery 1957, Ayim is a writer, filmmaker and director of the cultural research initiative ANO in Accra. She will bring to the gallery artists including Serge Attukwei Clottey, whose work will feature in the inaugural exhibition, Zohra Opoku, Jeremiah Quarshie and Yaw Owusu. Together Zakhem and Ayim will take on the challenge of cultivating collectors in the region, by Zakhem’s own admission, locally, serious collectors are sparse. But as the market is developing Zakhem is hoping to open up these artists to Ghanaians sooner rather than later, “I think it is important for Ghananian collectors to have the chance to collect these artists before they reach international success.” ie. an international price range.
Jeremiah Quarshie, Village Tech, 2011, Acrylic on linen image courtesy of the artist and Gallery 1957, Accra
Beyond simply providing a platform for the artists of Ghana, Gallery 1957 supports in particular the country’s young radical artists “The name of the gallery relates to independence but also a severance between the old artists of the country who worked a lot in a very academic style, and the new disruptive political way than Ghanaian artists work,” says Zakhem. “They are inspired by their country’s history, what is going on right now, they are trying to break away from the old system of art.”
This local element is evident throughout our conversation with the gallery’s founder, it is run by Ghanians, curated by Ghanaians and presents Ghanaian artists “We have already been approached by various art fairs” says Zakhem, “but right now it is important to attract as many people to Ghana as possible.”
