Atta Kwami

Embracing improvisation and diversity, Atta Kwami acknowledged the resilience and personal struggle—both his own and others'—necessary to reach a level of hope and excellence. He appreciated work where the interplay between innovation and tradition was approached with subtlety.  

He crafted pieces that improvised form and color, drawing inspiration from uniquely Ghanaian architecture and African strip-woven textiles, such as those of the Kente, the Ewe, and Asante people of Ghana.

Biography of Atta Kwami

George Atta Kwami was born in 1956 in Accra to Robert Kwami, a music teacher, and Grace Kwami (nee Anku), a prominent first-generation Ghanaian contemporary artist.

He pursued his studies at the KNUST in Kumasi, Ghana, and later served as a teacher.

In 1992, Kwami tied the knot with Pamela Clarkson, a painter and printmaker. In 2007, he attained a PhD in art history from the Open University.

Kwami received the title of 1st Thoyer Distinguished Visiting Scholar at New York University, New York. Additionally, he held the Philip L. Ravenhill Fellowship (UCLA) at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC, in 2010. He served as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Michigan, Graduate School of Art & Design, in January 2011. In 2021, he was honored with the Maria Lassnig Prize from the Maria Lassnig Foundation in Vienna and the Serpentine Galleries in the UK.

The artist passed away from cancer in the UK on October 6, 2021.

Atta Kwami's paintings have been exhibited at various venues worldwide, including Nicolas Krupp Contemporary Art (Basel), Howard Scott Gallery (New York), Liverpool World Museum, Beardsmore Gallery (London), Galerie Vidal Saint-Phalle (Paris), and many more.