Awulai Ashia & Nkyinkyim Exhibition at Gagosian London: A Fusion of Art and Architecture

The Awulai Ashia & Nkyinkyim Exhibition at Gagosian marks the celebrated inaugural London exhibition of Amoako Boafo, titled I Do Not Come to You By Chance. Curated by Hadir Al Koshta and designed by DeRoche Projects, the exhibition presents a compelling integration of art, architecture, and cultural storytelling, showcasing Boafo’s portraits in spaces that echo the ancestral traditions and communal values of Ghana.

Courtyard Pavilion – Gallery 1: Architecture as Memory

In Gallery 1, DeRoche Projects created the Courtyard Pavilion, inspired by Boafo’s childhood home in Accra, Ghana. Rather than a literal reconstruction, the pavilion is a distilled memory of West African courtyards, spaces central to communal life, intergenerational care, and creative exchange. This monochromatic structure, constructed from charred Accoya timber, releases the scent of controlled fire, adding a multisensory dimension that merges architecture, memory, and ritual.

Paintings are recessed within niches, forming a “gallery within a gallery” that invites a slower, more contemplative engagement. This approach challenges conventional white-cube exhibition formats, creating an immersive environment where space itself narrates cultural identity and resilience. For the first time, all windows at Gagosian Mayfair were opened, extending the courtyard’s ethos to the street and embodying openness, community, and shared access.

Nkyinkyim – Social Sculpture in Gallery 2

Gallery 2 features Nkyinkyim, Boafo’s first freestanding, double-sided painting, presented within a sculptural installation by DeRoche. The work draws on the Adinkra symbol Nkyinkyim, representing the twists and turns of life, resilience, and ancestral wisdom. The installation incorporates charred timber panels, naturally dyed woven rattan, and life-sized portraits mounted along a central spine. Its stepped, staggered rhythm frames each portrait, creating intimate spaces for reflection and interaction.

At the base, an interlocking table and chairs, covered in fabric derived from Boafo’s paper transfer technique, reinforce the exhibition’s central theme: community as a structural and nurturing force. Nkyinkyim transforms the gallery into a space where art and architecture fuse, contextualizing Boafo’s portraits within a network of cultural, familial, and creative relationships.

A Cultural Dialogue Through Integrated Design

I Do Not Come to You By Chance is the first in a three-part series integrating artistic and architectural expression, with upcoming exhibitions planned in the United States and Ghana. Through the collaboration between Amoako Boafo and DeRoche Projects, the exhibition transcends traditional gallery design, positioning architecture as an active participant in storytelling, community-building, and cultural preservation.

All photographs are works of Julien Lanoo