I fell in love with Dankyi’s work at first sight. The models in his work are so full of life and emotion that I want to talk to them and get to know them. The elegance and finesse with which he depicts black skin in shades of purple and blue amazes me and makes me appreciate my skin color even more.

My encounter with Dankyi via video call was most enriching, both artistically and culturally. Through his breathtaking series entitled Kumerica, Dankyi introduced me to a cultural movement of the same name, which is associated with the Ghanaian music scene and revolves around the encounter between the local culture of Kumasi, a Ghanaian city in the Ashanti region, and American urban culture.

Dankyi then gave me an exhaustive analysis of the art market in Ghana, especially its cyclical nature, and we discussed the valorization of art as a cultural heritage on the African continent.

I was delighted to make the acquaintance of this brilliant artist, who beautifully challenges some old standards of beauty and shows that humanity is gorgeous in an African way. Continue to amaze us with your work, Dankyi. I can’t wait to discover your next series!

You can contact and follow Dankyi here: https://www.instagram.com/dankyimensah/

You can purchase his beautiful artwork here: https://www.artsy.net/artist/dankyi-mensah

Location: Accra (Ghana)