Covered Buildings and Spaces
Since 2011, Ibrahim Mahama, Ghana, has produced evocative narratives about society’s relationship with industry with his ongoing series, Occupations. These narratives manifest in colossal, blanket-like installations that envelope building structures and urban spaces. With these constructs, produced almost exclusively with combined jute fiber sacks, Mahama critiques the place and value of the industry. He asks the question: how do we give materials meaning from an economic perspective, as commodities, and from a literal perspective, as products of their environment? This theme resonates on a global scale. Mahama held a solo exhibition at the Food Distribution Corporation in Dusseldorf, Germany. He has also participated in exhibitions in his native country, Ghana, as well as Italy and Senegal.
Mahama employs many the predominately female sellers of cocoa, a product regularly carried in the fiber sacks. The sellers sew together the assortment of frayed bags that will eventually become massive installations, imbued with new meaning and purpose. Though the message is not blatantly expressed, Mahama’s installations certainly leave a strong impression—from their sheer size and appearance—forcing passersby to acclimate themselves to the obvious change in their surroundings.
Mahama’s practice is aimed at transgressing an ideological dimension that allows the material to be re- purposed beyond its conventional use—as containers of a rootless commodity. Osei Bonsu, Out of Bounds, 2015
Mahama acquired his formal education in painting at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He currently lives and works in Accra, Ghana.
