Yellow is the Colour of Water: Behind the Scenes with Artist Jeremiah Quarshie
Gallery 1957 is currently exhibiting Yellow is the Colour of Water, a solo exhibition of new works and a multi-site installation from the artist Jeremiah Quarshie, curated by Robin Riskin.
Quarshie’s practice takes its narrative from contemporary life in Ghana, with particular emphasis on the passage of water throughout Accra—as embodied through the yellow “Kufuor” gallons used for storing and carrying it. Born in 1985 in Accra, Quarshie studied fine art at Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. The exhibition is based out of Gallery 1957 at the Kempinski Hotel, and maps out to a body of site-specific interventions. The gallery segment of the show features new paintings from Quarshie’s Yellow is the Colour of Water series—portraits of beauty queens, businesswomen, and labourers, who sit atop arrangements of these ubiquitous yellow containers amid plain black backdrops.
The exhibition is based out of Gallery 1957 at the Kempinski Hotel, and maps out to a body of site-specific interventions. The gallery segment of the show features new paintings from Quarshie’s Yellow is the Colour of Water series—portraits of beauty queens, businesswomen, and labourers, who sit atop arrangements of these ubiquitous yellow containers amid plain black backdrops.
Quarshie lives and works in Accra today. His paintings have been included in exhibitions internationally including: The Gown Must Go To Town…, National Museum of Science and Technology, Accra (2015); Silence Between the Lines, Prime Motors Ltd., Kumasi (2015); The Munich-project, Global Art — Local View, Villa Mohr, Munich (2014); Muses, Goethe Institut, Accra (2013); The ‘Sabi Yu Rutu’ project, Suriname (2013); Kaleidoscope, La Villa Boutique, Accra (2013); Time, Trade and Travel, Nubuke Foundation, Accra and Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), Amsterdam (2012); and The Ghana-project, Global Art — Local View, Goethe Institut, Accra (2012).
After Nyne's Editor Claire Meadows went behind the scenes with Jeremiah to get the artist's eye view of the show
Jeremiah, great to meet you. Take us back to the beginning - was there one particular thought that sparked the idea for Yellow is the Colour of Water?
I came to a realisation that I pay attention quite unconsciously to things in my environment that are repetitive yet subtle. The city has always had water problems as far back as 1992 when I moved there with my family. I am guessing that may have formed the basic idea of paying close attention to it artistically. But I came to a conscious decision to make work about it late in 2012.
Did your idea for the works evolve over time or did you keep the concept from the start?
The idea evolved over time. Initially I didn't mind whether the subjects will sit or stand. With time however I made decisions based on the possible implications of the water problem and how that connects with my basic driving force of equality - where the condition does not respect the preexisting divides of race, culture, ethnicity, nationality and social class.
Explain the title Yellow is the Colour of Water for us.
In the early to late 1990s the water problem in Accra was not as 'fantastiscally' terrible as it is today. Yet it was important to to store water since not many households will have a connection to their homes. For those of us who had a connection, it flowed very late at night or at dawn. So we all had to find receptacles for storage. Initially people would store water in emptied pig feet barrels. With the advent of fast food joints, vegetable oil containers were more readily available and cheaper. They were also easier to carry compared to the much larger pig feet barrels. The oil containers, nicknamed 'kuffour gallons', were yellow. In no time it became the strong cultural symbol of the search for water - the more gallons you see in a particular vicinity the more acute the problem was yet having more of the containers filled means one has more water - thus the theme 'Yellow is the Colour of Water'.
Women take centre-stage in your works here. Was this a conscious decision? How does this decision reflect Ghanaian culture?
It was a conscious decision to use only women. In Ghanaian culture, women are tasked with the all important chore of finding and bringing water to the home. Obviously since they take charge of the many household chores, water is an essential ingredient in fulfilling those responsibilities.
The works in the exhibition suggest a sensitivity in yourself about nature, the elements, the future. What are your thoughts on the global response to global warming, and to globalisation as a whole?
Often the response to global warming in my opinion has been more talk less action. In other to tackle issues such as these it is important to come up with solutions and implement them as soon as possible. However with the world as a whole facing issues outside the subject of global warming - crime, terrorism, health and health threatening chemical induced food - I am fully convinced that we are incapable of solving the world's problems by ourselves. Thus even political systems have and will continue to fail in solving the world's problems.
Globalisation on the other hand can have a positive impact when it comes to nullifying problems arising from race, nationality, ethnicity and culture. It can help in appreciating differences positively.
You've exhibited all over the world...what is unique about the art scene in Ghana?
The art scene in Ghana is vibrant! Younger artists are dealing with global issues in their work. Artists here are using various ways of expression to talk about such issues. Despite a lack of government support, individuals and collectives are funding their own projects and events. Institutions such as Nubuke Foundation have been instrumental in giving artists a platform to exhibit artwork that come in various forms including spoken word and performance. A notable event that has made such a strong artistic impression is the Chale Wote Street Art Festival which happens every year. I have had the privilege to be a part of it and the experience is wonderful and memorable to both the audience and the artists themselves. It is something to look forward to each year.
We've had our eye on Gallery 1957 since it opened in March this year. What are your thoughts on what the gallery are trying to achieve?
It is very interesting to see a gallery that is in truly interested in local artists and independent artistic expression and production. It makes easier for artists here in Ghana to have international exposure at the same time serving the local populace with a taste how serious art is. It my hope that as the years go by, the gallery will become a principal means of presenting artists from Ghana on a worldwide stage.
What are your plans for the rest of the year beyond Yellow is the Colour of Water?
I am already preparing for my next research on subjects of interests in one of Africa's most prominent countries, Nigeria. My several visits there give me strong reason to believe that my next body of work will be charged with essential aspects of daily life and culture.
What single thought would you like people to take away from the show?
We are connected to each in many other ways despite our differing backgrounds and cultures thus creating the need to appreciate the differences and yet not allowing it to divide us.
Jeremiah Quarshie: Yellow is the Colour of Water
A multi-site exhibition project staged across various locations in Accra: The Kempinski Hotel, Tema Station and Kotoka International Airport
Until 22 November 2016
Address: Gallery 1957, Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, PMB 66 — Ministries, Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue, Ridge — Accra, Ghana Telephone: +233 303967575
