Journeys and Destinations features artists who hail from Africa but form part of a significant and long-standing diaspora in Europe and America. Their artistic expressions, life experiences and critical place within the global art world reflect the realities of many of Africa's contemporary artists. The journeys of these artists are rarely simple stories of migration, but rather ones of multiple moves, homecomings and fluctuating affinities to place, space and identity. The motivations for leaving Africa vary from cases of political exile to pursuit of training or patronage, market opportunities or inspiration.

The nomadic lifestyle of these contemporary artists forces us to re-examine the borders, both actual and imagined, between Africa and the rest of the world. In some instances, these experiences of diaspora and senses of destination are manifested in the artworks themselves, through imagery and narrative or through choice of media and working method. In other cases, the varied and complex nature of dwelling in the diaspora is not outwardly manifested in the works themselves but nevertheless forms an integral part of the artists' sense of being and practice.

This exhibition strives to highlight the complexities and richness within the lives of Africa's contemporary artists as well as emphasize the artists' important participation within a larger transnational moment characterized by relocation and longing for home.

Ali Omar Ermes | Bright Bimpong | Kwesi Owusu-Ankomah | Osi Audu

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