Ernest Dükü began as an architect and designer before moving on to his preferred media of drawing and sculpture. In his work, textures, colours, and signs are deeply intertwined, as is African history. Traditional Akan signs are brought into dialogue with Egyptian, Ethiopian, Christian, and Islamic symbolism to achieve rhythmic and nuanced results. His recent works examine the origin of the sacred and the spiritual through symbols, divinatory rituals, and faith practices. Dükü’s approach to divine matters is largely through metaphors and oral histories. 

As a comment on the role of language in building African histories, he explores images and stories inflected by their modes of telling and transmission. The Boson series, which the artist continues to develop and enrich, pays homage to Paul Klee’s masterful ability of giving form to the unseen. A comprehensive monograph of the artist is to be published in early 2023. Exhibited in cities such as Abidjan, Brussels, Cape Town, and London, Dükü has also participated in several biennales and is a regular at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.