Ghanaian contemporary artist Timothy K. Gobah has been featured in the Official Catalogue of Contemporary African Art unveiled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The catalogue includes his work, Highlife (2026), a 133 by 98-centimetre acrylic and spray painting on canvas that depicts Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, while exploring themes of Pan-Africanism, historical memory and political identity.
According to the catalogue, the title Highlife references the West African musical genre that emerged through the interaction of African rhythmic traditions and Western musical culture. It explains that the work is based on a historical photograph of Dr Nkrumah during a birthday celebration but goes beyond portraying status and prosperity to examine the representation of power, historical memory and the construction of political imagery.
"Nkrumah's image here is connected not only to the political history of Ghana, but also to the broader experience of African self-determination, in which the idea of unity emerges as a project of shared memory, shared destiny and a common future," the catalogue states.
The publication describes Gobah as an artist whose practice engages with themes of memory, identity and the perception of reality in contemporary society, linking personal experiences with broader cultural and social processes.
It says one of the central concerns of his work is the relationship between art and truth, with his artistic inquiry focusing on how meanings are shaped and transformed.
Mr Gobah's visual language is characterised by a restrained palette dominated by black, white and gold. According to the catalogue, the contrast created by those colours underscores his interest in exploring the shifting boundaries between fact and interpretation, authenticity and fiction.
The Official Catalogue of Contemporary African Art showcases works by artists from across the continent, highlighting contemporary artistic expressions that reflect Africa's diverse histories, cultures and evolving identities.
