New solo show at Art House to serve as a counterpoint to today’s tensions
Art House Productions and guest curator Shantel Asante-Kissi will present Kwesi O. Kwarteng’s Woven World: A Tapestry of Social Interconnectedness from Sunday, Feb. 2, through Sunday, Feb. 23.
Kwarteng’s works explore traditional weaving practices in Ghana, and are influenced by El Anatsui’s sculptures, quilting by 20th-century African Americans and the color techniques of Sam Gilliam.
Kwarteng’s works are also reflective of his experiences growing up in Ghana and his life as a teenager when he emigrated to the United States.
“Woven World explores the ways in which textile, color and form impact identity, dialogue and storytelling,” said curator Shantel Asante-Kissi. “The works convey a vastness of space and invite the audience to trust the journey, embracing the richness of the people encountered along the way.”
Kwarteng’s primary medium as an artist is in textiles, which he uses to explore identities shaped by intersecting cultures. He draws on inspiration from his Ghanaian background as well as symbols of various events throughout his life.
For Woven World, Kwarteng has combined traditional Ghanaian textiles with hand-dyed fabrics to craft abstract works that are meant to represent multiculturalism and serve as a counterpoint to the racial tensions and social divisions that persist throughout the world.
Click here for the full NJ.com article by David Mosca