De Buck Gallery is thrilled to present Spotlight: Annan Affotey, a presentation of new paintings by Oxford-based artist Annan Affotey.
Affotey navigates black identity through portraiture. His paintings feature women and men of color with vibrant dark skin and his signature soul-filled, red eyes. He surrounds his figures in negative space allowing the subjects to tell their own story. Affotey’s paintings highlight the nuances of facial expressions and examine a story that goes beyond surface level.
Affotey was born in 1985 in Accra, Ghana. He graduated from Ghanatta College of Art and Design in 2007 with a degree in Drawing & Painting. In 2013, he helped found the African Young Artist Organization (AYAO), a group dedicated to supporting African youth in the arts through education and exhibitions.
He has noted two significant influences on his work: his having been raised in the presence of strong women and the cultural diversity he’s experienced through living in Ghana, Europe and the United States. The combination of these experiences brings a diverse narrative to his work, exploring the underlying narratives and meanings behind his subjects’ faces and bodies.
Earlier this year, Affotey had a solo exhibition at Danny First’s Cabin in Los Angeles. His work has also been exhibited in New York City, London, Miami and Accra.
