Ibrahim Mahama is a Ghanaian artist known for his large-scale artworks made from jute sacks. He was born in Tamale, Ghana in 1971 and earned a BFA in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana in 2010, followed by an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the same institution in 2013. He is married to Oona Mahama, and they have three children.
In this article, we will delve deeper into Ibrahim Mahama’s life, career, achievements, net worth, and answer some frequently asked questions.
Biography: Wife, Age, Houses, and Net Worth
WIFE
Ibrahim Mahama is married to Oona Mahama, and they have three children.
AGE
Ibrahim Mahama was born on 29 January 1971, which makes him 52 years old as of 2023.
HOUSES
Mahama’s most notable building is Nkrumah Voli-ni, a Brutalist-style silo built to store grain and other food during the post-independence era, located in Tamale, Ghana. He currently lives and works in this building and plans to convert it into a cultural institution.
NET WORTH
As of 2023, Ibrahim Mahama’s net worth is estimated to be around $2 million. He has made his fortune through his successful career as an artist.
CAREER
Ibrahim Mahama is best known for his large-scale works made from jute sacks. These sacks are used in markets and to transport goods such as food, charcoal, and coal. To Mahama, the sacks represent a complex system of global exchange and a freedom of movement afforded to goods over people.
Mahama works with collaborators to stitch tattered sacks together to create enormous patchwork quilts, which are draped over buildings including theatres, museums, and apartments. In 2015, he gained international attention when he used jute sacks to encase public structures in Athens for documenta 14, and a long outdoor corridor in the Arsenale complex at the Venice Biennale.
Two years later, Mahama mounted his first solo exhibition at White Cube in London. The show’s title Fragments was borrowed from an eponymous 1970 novel by Ayi Kwei Armah, which explores the relationship between the individual and society, against a background of materialism, moral decay, and civic corruption in a newly independent Ghana. The focal point of the White Cube show was the monumental sculpture Non-Orientable Nkansa (2016), for which Mahama worked with dozens of collaborators to make replicas of the small wooden boxes typically used in Ghana to house tools for polishing and repairing shoes, and when flipped upside down to drum for business.
Mahama returned to Venice in 2019 to represent his country at the 58th Venice Biennale. Curated by Nana Oforiatta Ayim and designed by Sir David Adjaye (with the late Okwui Enwezor as strategic advisor), the Ghanaian Pavilion presented work by Mahama, alongside El Anatsui, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Felicia Abban, John Akomfrah, and Selasi Awusi Sosu. Mahama’s work, A Straight Line Through the Carcass of History, comprised a bunker-like installation of mesh cages ordinarily used to smoke fish, exercise books, maps, and fragments of smoked fish.
ACHIEVEMENTS
One of Ibrahim Mahama’s notable achievements is his representation of Ghana at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019. He showcased his work, A Straight Line Through the Carcass of History, which was a commentary on colonialism and the extraction of natural resources in Ghana. Mahama has also exhibited his works at White Cube in London, the Arsenale complex at the Venice Biennale, and the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Ibrahim Mahama has a significant following on social media platforms like Instagram, where he shares his works and updates on his artistic practice. He uses social media to connect with his audience, fellow artists, and art enthusiasts. Mahama’s social media presence has helped him reach a wider audience and promote his work globally.
FAMILY
Ibrahim Mahama is married to Oona Mahama, and they have three children. His family is an essential part of his life, and he often incorporates them into his artistic practice.
FAQs
Q: What is Ibrahim Mahama’s educational background?
A: Mahama earned a BFA in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, in 2010. He later earned an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the same institution in 2013.
Q: What is Ibrahim Mahama known for?
A: Ibrahim Mahama is known for his large-scale installations made from jute sacks, which explore themes of global exchange and migration, postcolonial politics, and the relationships between people and materials.
Q: What organizations has Ibrahim Mahama founded?
A: Ibrahim Mahama has founded two organizations: the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art and its sister organization, Red Clay. The organizations are artist-run hubs for research, engagement, and artist residencies in Tamale and the Northern Region of Ghana, respectively.
Q: What is Ibrahim Mahama’s net worth?
A: Ibrahim Mahama’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million.
Q: What is Ibrahim Mahama’s family like?
A: Ibrahim Mahama is married to Oona Mahama, and they have three children. His family is an essential part of his life, and he often incorporates them into his artistic practice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ibrahim Mahama is a renowned contemporary artist from Ghana known for his large-scale installations made from jute sacks. His works explore themes of global exchange, migration, postcolonial politics, and the relationships between people and materials. Mahama’s artistic practice goes beyond creating artworks and extends to founding organizations that promote art and culture in Ghana. His family is an integral part of his life, and he often incorporates them into his work. With his significant achievements, Ibrahim Mahama is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the global art scene.
