Kofi Setordji

Kofi Setordji (born 1957) is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Ghana. His works range from graphic design, textile designing, sculpture and painting.[1][2][3]

Kofi Setordji
Born
Kofi Setordji

Ghana
NationalityGhanian
EducationAccra Methodist Secondary School
OccupationArtist

Education and career

Setordji was born in 1957 in Accra.[4][5] He attended Methodist Secondary School in Accra after which he trained as a commercial artist. He was an apprentice of Ghanaian cartoonist Ghanatta Yaw Boakye.[6] From 1984 to 1987, Setordji apprenticed with Ghanaian artist and dramatist Saka Acquaye.[3][5] He started working in sandstone in 1985 and started showing his works in Accra. He has since shown in France, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Austria, South Africa and the United States.[3][6]

Apart from his artistic practice, Setordji is a mentor to many young contemporary artists practicing in Accra. He founded Arthaus, a residency program for artists.[7] In addition, he is a co-founder and former creative director of Nubuke Foundation, a contemporary art space in Accra.[8][9][10]

Notable works

Setordji's most famous art is the Genocide, a multidimensional installation (wood, metal, recycled objects and paint) that he created as a response to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.[11][12][13][14][15] The work was made between 1998 and 2000 and comprised about 300 pieces which included a scene of a war tribunal. In the middle sat a judge. On the side were defence and prosecuting lawyers.[16] The work was shown at the 2000 edition of Dakar Biennale.[17]

Setordji's 5-meter high sculpture commissioned by the city of Accra stands in front of the National Theatre of Ghana. The work is titled Entre Amies.[18]

Awards and honours

Setordji won the Leisure Award Sculptor of the Year prize in 1990.[3] In 2018, he received The Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Creative Arts Fellowship.[19][20] Setordji was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at Nubuke Foundation in 2012.[6]

Exhibitions

References
  1. "Kofi Setordji artist profile". ARTZUID. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  2. "Kofi Setordji - Biography". SMO Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  3. "Kofi Setordji". Nubuke Foundation. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  4. Fall, N'Goné; Pivin, Jean Loup (2002). An Anthology of African Art: The Twentieth Century. D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers. ISBN 978-1-891024-38-2.
  5. Revue noire (in French). Publications Editions Bleu Outremer. 1999.
  6. "Kofi Setordji: Retrospective, 1997–2012". African Arts. 47 (1): 85–87. 2014-03-01. doi:10.1162/AFAR_r_00125. ISSN 0001-9933. S2CID 192974398.
  7. Council, Ghana Studies (2008). Newsletter. Ghana Studies Council.
  8. African Business. IC Magazines. 2007.
  9. "Kofi Setordji - Biography". SMO Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  10. Lauer, Helen; Amfo, Nana Aba Appiah; Anderson, Jemima Asabea (2011). Identity Meets Nationality: Voices from the Humanities. African Books Collective. ISBN 978-9988-647-96-4.
  11. African Arts. African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles. 2007.
  12. Genocide: Painting, Sculpture Installation : Kofi Setordji : National Museum, Barnes Road, Accra. National Museum. 1999.
  13. Kidenda, Mary Clare; Kriel, Lize; Wagner, Ernst (2022-04-06). Visual Cultures of Africa. Waxmann Verlag. ISBN 978-3-8309-4523-9.
  14. Gatore, Gilbert (2012-10-04). The Past Ahead. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-00950-0.
  15. Baderoon, Gabeba (2006). Contemporary Commonwealth. Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria. ISBN 978-0-7241-0266-2.
  16. Woets, Rhoda (2010). "Comprehend the Incomprehensible: Kofi Setordji's Travelling Memorial of the Rwanda Genocide". African Arts. 43 (3): 52–63. doi:10.1162/afar.2010.43.3.52. ISSN 0001-9933. JSTOR 20744863. S2CID 57572395.
  17. Silva, Bisi (December 2000). "Dak'Art 2000: The millennium biennale?". Third Text. 14 (53): 103–106. doi:10.1080/09528820108576892. ISSN 0952-8822. S2CID 147101662.
  18. Dickersbach, Safia. "Kofi Setordji: The Black Stars of Ghana - Art District". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  19. Gordon, Mark (2009). Contemporary Europe Art Guide. Distributed Art Pub Incorporated. ISBN 978-3-7757-2336-7.
  20. "Artforum.com". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  21. "The travelling exhibition "Prête-moi ton rêve" (Lend me Your Dream) opened in Casablanca on June 18, 2019 and closes in Marrakesh in 2020". Arts Summary. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  22. Momentum, The Art (2020-12-02). "Kofi Setordji: Telling Our Own Stories". The Art Momentum. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  23. "New Threads | 10 October - 17 November 2016 - Overview". SMO Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  24. "Africa Screams". Kunsthalle Wien. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  25. ArtFacts. "Kofi Setordji | Artist". ArtFacts. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
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