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London 2014

  • 1-54 Forum 2014
  • Exhibitors 2014
  • Press 2014

Ataa Oko

Born in 1919 in La, Ghana. Died in 2012 near Accra, Ghana.

Ataa Oko, 'Untitled (deux têtes aux petits traits)', 2008, Pencil on paper, 21 x 29,7 cm, Courtesy Regula Tschumi and Magnin-A 

Ataa Oko was born in La, a town near Accra, Ghana. He worked as a fisherman, then as an employee in cocoa plantations. Apprentice carpenter since 1936, he made his first figurative coffins around 1945 and open his own workshop in his hometown. Growing old, he makes more rarely coffins, only on occasional command.

Ataa Oko began his graphic work at of eighty-three years old, after meeting in 2002 with the ethnologist Regula Tschumi who was then conducting research on funerary sculptures. She asked him to draw from memory the personalized figurative coffins he built while he was carpenter: one in the shape of a fish for a fisherman, another one representing a tomato for a farmer. Over time, the author freed himself from his memories to leave space to an abundance of brightly colored new topics: fantastic animals, characters and imaginary beings, sometimes monstrous. Ataa Oko worked with Regula Tschumi until his death in December 2012.

Selected Artists

Quenum, Gérard

Hazoumè, Romuald

Van Hove, Eric

Ba, Omar

Moschetti, Jean-Claude

Konaté, Abdoulaye

Okore, Nnenna

Glover, Ablade

Artists 2014

  • A

    • Aboudia
    • Afi Nayo
    • Agbodjelou, Leonce Raphael
    • Amadou Camara Gueye
    • Amahiguéré Dolo
    • Andrianomearisoa, Joël
    • Arlene Wandera
    • Armen Agop
    • Ataa Oko
  • B

    • Ba, Omar
    • Bandoma, Steve
    • Barthélemy Toguo
    • Bondo, Vitshois Mwilambwe
    • Bruce Clarke
  • C

    • Calixte Dakpogan
    • Camara, Serigne Mbaye
    • Chamekh, Nidhal
  • D

    • Daniel Blom
    • Diop, Omar Victor
    • Donkor, Godfried
    • Douglas Camp, Sokari
  • E

    • Edson Chagas
    • El Baz, Mohamed
    • EL Loko
    • Emeka Ogboh
  • F

    • Fayçal Baghriche
    • François-Xavier Gbré
    • Frédéric Bruly Bouabré
  • G

    • Gaba, Meschac
    • Gakunga, Naomi Wanjiku
    • Gary Stephens
    • Glover, Ablade
    • Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude
    • Guerresi, Maïmouna
  • H

    • Hajjaj, Hassan
    • Halter, Dan
    • Harandane Dicko
    • Hazoumè, Romuald
    • Hervé Yamguen
  • I

    • Ibrahim Mahama
  • J

    • James Muriuki
    • John Goba
    • John Liebenberg
    • John Murray
    • Joseph-Francis Sumegné
  • K

    • Kamwathi, Peterson
    • Karl Gietl
    • Karo Akpokiere
    • Klos, Yashua
    • Koko Robert Bi, Jems
    • Konaté, Abdoulaye
    • Kossentini, Nicène
    • Kure, Marcia
  • L

    • Lemaoana, Lawrence
  • M

    • Mabunda, Gonçalo
    • Maiga, Hamidou
    • Malick Sidibé
    • Maluka, Mustafa
    • Mancoba, Ernest
    • Megumi Matsubara
    • Melvin Edwards
    • Michéa, Vincent
    • Mika, JP
    • Miriam Syowia Kyambi
    • Monteiro, Fabrice
    • Moschetti, Jean-Claude
    • Musekiwa, Terrence
  • N

    • Ndiaye, Cheikh
    • Nestor Da
    • Nxumalo, Musa N.
    • Nzebo, Boris
  • O

    • Ogunbanwo, Lakin
    • Okhai Ojeikere, J.D.
    • Okore, Nnenna
    • Okpu-Egbe, Adjani
    • Onditi, Paul
    • Otobong Nkanga
    • Owusu-Ankomah
  • P

    • Paul Sika
    • Pinto, Mauro
    • Platter, Cameron
  • Q

    • Quenum, Gérard
  • R

    • Rafik El Kamel
    • Ricardo Rangel
    • Richard Butler-Bowdon
    • Roger Ballen
    • Ruga, Athi-Patra
  • S

    • Samba, Chéri
    • Sammy Baloji
    • Sandile Zulu
    • Sanogo, Amadou
    • Shomali, Kura
    • Sinzogan, Julien
    • Soudan, Gor
    • Stanley, Ransome
  • T

    • Takadiwa, Moffat
    • Terjuman, Houda
    • Tshindele, Pathy
    • Tugbiyele, Adejoke
  • V

    • Van Hove, Eric
    • Virginia Ryan
  • W

    • Watts, Ouattara
    • Wayne Barker
    • Wycliffe Mundopa
  • X

    • Xiomara De Oliver
  • Y

    • Younès Baba-Ali
    • Younès Rahmoun
  • Z

    • Zangewa, Billie

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