SERGE ATTUKWEI CLOTTEY

Let’s talk about your subject matter and your focus...  

We don't create art in a void… For me, I believe every artist, and just like musicians and film producers, create works based on specific narratives they've explored or are investigating. They present their findings in unique ways that either educate, inform, entertain or start a conversation. That's where we start looking at the subject matter... So I believe in every artistic dispensation, your subject matter is the starting point in creating a shared understanding.

So for me, my subject matter has always been about issues that affect my country, be it partisan politics, media, environment (illegal mining and plastic pollution), history, and[/or] trade. It’s easy to see these themes in my performances, photography, paintings, and sculptures. So from what I’ve said, I guess you know where my focus is...

Are there common themes that carry across your different series? 

Yes, there are common themes that cut across the various mediums I use in creating. For example, you can easily see themes about the environment and materiality in most of my series. Also, my family history, and media, especially new media (social media)...

Can you tell us about Afrogallonism, what drove you to create it, and what you hope to communicate? Are there specific reactions you hope to stir up or conjure in your audiences?

Afrogallonism, in much more simple terms, is an artistic intervention where I'm looking at ways we deal with plastic (mostly the Jerry cans) in our community. I explore the origins of these plastic materials, their use, and what becomes of them when they have outlived their purpose in peoples' homes. Also, what can I, as an artist, create out of these discarded materials... This project aims to provoke serious conversation around the consumption of these materials and the issue of water scarcity in Ghana, Africa, and the world. 

You're known for experimenting with discarded, everyday things. What are some of the most unconventional materials you've worked with?  When deciding on materials, what are the most important factors you consider? Are there any materials you’d like to explore next that you haven’t tried yet? 

I honestly can’t point out any unconventional material I've used. I think most of the materials I used are discarded materials I source from people’s homes and dump sites, meaning these materials are being used for the day-to-day activities of people in the community. So I don’t regard them as unconventional. Instead, I'd rather say I sometimes create unconventional artworks out of these discarded materials.

When it comes to materials, it just has to fit in the idea I'm exploring. Before I use a material, I ask myself… what is the significance of the material to the idea I’m developing or the work I’m creating? Artists are always working with new materials, but artists don’t go for any material because they think it will be aesthetically pleasing to others, but rather the importance of the material to the work they are creating. 

The title of your first solo exhibition in Los Angeles at Simchowitz Gallery is Beyond Skin.  Please tell us about that title, the work on view... and the cast of characters you portray. 

I believe you know figurative paintings of black bodies are in vogue now. And it will be easy to classify my new works under this trend. But that is not what I’m interested in. For my new works, I want people to look past the color of the people in the paintings and rather focus on the many themes I explore in them. One can look at themes like materiality, fashion, and media in these works.

As an ardent user of social media, I look at how this form of media influences Africans who are social media savvy... from their fashion sense, [to] language, and how they choose to present themselves to the world via social media. That is the reason why I chose most characters from social media. The characters in these paintings are friends, artists, fashionistas, and random black people worldwide. 

Was there any more specific moment or impetus that inspired this series? 

I was inspired by how young Africans are using social media to tell stories about themselves, their communities, and their continent. In Okwui Enwezor’s book Snap Judgments: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography, he spoke about how the discovery of works by African photographers like Seydou Keita contributed to the rewriting of African history from the angle of 'Afro-pessimism' to a more respectable angle. I believe this has not changed, and young Africans are continuing the works of Seydou Keita, Malick SidIbé, James Barnor, and many others through social media channels like Instagram. I can say this, among many others, inspires these new works. 

Is your process generally spontaneous or more planned?

My work process is planned. From the selection of an image on social media to the type of duct tape I use is usually planned.

Is there a story behind Asantewaa?

I can’t say there’s a specific story behind Asantewaa. She’s a Ghanaian spoken word artist I’ve collaborated with before on a project some years back. She's a strong feminist who's creating works and developing interventions that are helping her fellow female artists and emerging female creatives in Accra hone their talents. Some years back, she, together with some friends, founded 'Black Girls Glow.'