Painting of a Black man looking at himself in the mirror
Image Credit

Amoako Boafo, Reflection I, 2018. Oil on paper; 51 1/8 x 43 3/8 in. Image and work courtesy private collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California, photo: Robert Wedemeyer. © Amoako Boafo.

Amoako Boafo

Soul of Black Folks
October 8, 2023 – February 19, 2024

Amoako Boafo, Reflection I, 2018. Oil on paper; 51 1/8 x 43 3/8 in. Image and work courtesy private collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California, photo: Robert Wedemeyer. © Amoako Boafo.

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is the debut museum solo exhibition tour for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (born 1984). One of the most acclaimed artists of his generation, Boafo’s works focus the viewers’ gaze on his subjects’ presence through his portraits representing Black life.

More than 30 works created between 2016 and 2022 are featured in Amoako Boafo, displaying Boafo’s vibrant use of color and thick gestures shaped by improvisational techniques such as finger-painting. His works actively center Black subjectivity, Black joy, and the Black gaze as the foundation of his inspiration and artistic practice.

The exhibition’s title was inspired by civil rights activist, sociologist, and Pan-Africanist W.E.B. Du Bois and his study, The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903. Boafo grew up near the burial site of Du Bois in Accra, Ghana, and was affected by his research, especially his coining of the phrase "double consciousness," meaning the experience of Black people simultaneously having to look at themselves through their own and through white people’s points of view. Boafo’s artworks serve as an invitation to think about and challenge the "othered" perspective concerning Black people and the Black figure.

Share your visit online using #SoulofBlackFolks
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Hamilton Building, Level 1
Ticket required, discount for Members and Museum Friends
Portrait of a Black woman wearing a green leafy cape

Amoako Boafo, Monstera Leaf Cape, 2021. Paper transfer and oil on canvas; 47 3/16 x 39 3/8 in., Image and work courtesy the artist. © Amoako Boafo

Portrait of a Black woman covering up the bottom of her face with a black and white checkered cloth

Amoako Boafo, Black and White, 2018. Oil on paper; 39 3/8 x 27 1/2 in. Image and work courtesy private collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California, photo: Robert Wedemeyer. © Amoako Boafo

Painting of a Black man looking at himself in the mirror

Amoako Boafo, Reflection I, 2018. Oil on paper; 51 1/8 x 43 3/8 in. Image and work courtesy private collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California, photo: Robert Wedemeyer. © Amoako Boafo.

Black woman wearing a patterned top and white gloves

Amoako Boafo, Umber Brown Belt, 2020. Paper transfer and oil on canvas; 82 5/8 x 66 7/8 in., Courtesy the Collection of Marilyn & Larry Fields. © Amoako Boafo

Black woman sitting cross-legged on a couch wearing a green leaf outfit

Amoako Boafo, Green Clutch, 2021. Paper transfer and oil on canvas; 82 5/8 x 70 7/8 in. Courtesy of Private Collection and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago and Paris. © Amoako Boafo

Black woman in white clothing next to a vase containing pink flowers

Amoako Boafo, Pink Astilbe, 2021. Oil on canvas; 63 x 51 1/2 in. Courtesy of the Artist. © Amoako Boafo

Profile of a Black man with bright red lips wearing a black hat

Amoako Boafo, Black Hat, 2021. Oil on canvas; 47 3/16 x 39 3/8 in. Courtesy of the Artist. © Amoako Boafo

Black woman resting her head on one of her hands

Amoako Boafo, Abena Boamah, 2019. Oil on canvas; 39 3/8 x 27 1/2 in. Courtesy of Private Collection and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago and Paris. © Amoako Boafo

Profile of a Black woman holding her hand up

Amoako Boafo, Fuck You Mean Tho, 2019. Oil on paper; 39 3/8 x 27 1/2 in., Courtesy of Private Collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles. © Amoako Boafo

Profile of a Black woman wearing a yellow headwrap

Amoako Boafo, Bella Sontez, 2019. Oil on paper, 28 x 22 in. Courtesy of Private Collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles. © Amoako Boafo

Profile of a Black man wearing white clothing

Amoako Boafo, White on White, 2019. Oil on paper, 39 3/8 x 31 1/2in., Courtesy of the artist. © Amoako Boafo

Two Black woman embracing and laughing

Amoako Boafo, Libby and D-Lee, 2019. Oil on canvas, 62 1/2 x 72 1/4 in. Courtesy of Holly Jane Butler and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles. © Amoako Boafo

Two Black woman looking at a brown dog one of them is holding

Amoako Boafo, Red Collar, 2021. Oil on canvas; 84 x 108 in., Pamela Hornik Collection. © Amoako Boafo

Plan Your Visit

After stops in San Francisco, Houston, and Seattle, Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is now in Denver! Plan your visit now to experience more than 30 works by one of the most acclaimed artists of his generation.

From the Blog

Catch up with the latest news and stories about Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks from the Denver Art Museum's blog!

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Playlist

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks features a selection of songs that currently inspires Amoako Boafo, in and outside of the studio. Boafo curated this sonic experience in order to provide insight into his creative process.

Listen on Spotify and save the playlist to your favorites.

Cover of Amoako Boafo's exhibition catalog, featuring a side profile headshot of a Black woman in a yellow headwrap

Publications

Published to accompany Amoako Boafo’s debut museum solo exhibition, editor Larry Ossei-Mensah’s Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is a timely exploration into the varying strategies that Boafo employs within his practice to capture the essence of the Black figure.

This catalog and other books about Amoako Boafo and contemporary and African art are available to purchase in the Shop or online.

Share your visit with #SoulofBlackFolks and #DenverArtMuseum

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is presented in partnership between Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco. The exhibition is curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah.

The presentation of this exhibition at the Denver Art Museum is organized by Rory Padeken, Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. It is funded by Vicki and Kent Logan, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, U.S. Bank, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.