PROFESSOR ABLADE GLOVER PRESENTS Eighty-Eight. Still At It!

8 SEPTEMBER 2022 - 30 NOVEMBER 2023

SOLO EXHIBITION

There is no expiry date for creativity, and Professor Ablade Glover is undoubted proof of this–particularly in his latest show at Christopher Moller Gallery. The exhibition is an intense dive into the realm of one of the contemporary art world's most respected artists, whose dynamic work spans some seven decades and a lifetime of appreciating the African experience.

Professor Ablade Glover is one of Ghana's most significant artists, and he heads into his ninth decade with a bold and engaging body of work that speaks of an intensity of perception and deep appreciation for the dynamic world around him. A longstanding contemporary art icon in Africa, Professor Glover's work appears in seminal collections across the globe. He has had a notable relationship with our gallery for many years–most recently co-publishing a biography, Indivisible, featuring his most important work and documenting his extraordinary journey as an artist.

The gravitas of his role as a champion of African contemporary art is unrivalled, and since the mid-1990s when he retired from formal academic life to focus on the gallery and painting, Professor Glover has deepened his exploration of marrying his preferred painting techniques–applying oil and acrylics to canvas with a palette knife–with the depth of personal experience and observation of life in a pulsating African city.

Professor Glover's immensely coloured, deeply textured pieces appear abstract at first, but on closer gaze reveal a pointillist style and a keenly focused lens on life in Ghana. Rich scenes of bustling market life, hot and noisy taxi ranks, crowds gathered in prayer or protest, and upbeat beachgoers are just some of his keenly rendered executions of people gathered as one–the viewer is able to step into the noise and the crowd with astonishing ease. The sense of Africa-ness is palpable–Professor Glover is regarded as one of the fathers of Modern African Art with good reason. Interestingly, over the years, Professor Glover's work has shown a striking evolution in his use of deeply saturated hues. His earlier art is more subdued in comparison and his delight and celebration of his environment even more pronounced as he heads towards his90thbirthday.

Glover'smulti-layered oils convey a spirit that is compelling–elevating everyday scenes into celebratory riots of colour and indeed reverence for the familiar as a form of collective creativity. Likewise there is a deep understanding of the power of pattern and its ability to draw in the viewer. This is no surprise, since aside from his various degrees at African, British and American institutions (including a doctorate), Professor Glover also studied textile design at the Central School of Arts and Design in London from 1959-1962. Professor Glover's vast knowledge, life experiences and multi-layered painterly applications are captivating from any angle.

With each collection, Professor Ablade Glover brings more intensity and energy to the table–no detail is spared, the richness is heightened and a sense that life is a deep and joyful experience is acute. It is our privilege and absolute pleasure to be sharing in this seminal artist's continued art journey and extraordinary contribution to contemporary art, in his 88thyear.

Open 8 September 2022 – 30 November 2022.

Visit the Gallery or explore online:

• In-Person viewing at the Gallery: 8 September 2022 – 30 September 2022.

• Online viewing: 8 September 2022 – 30 November 2022.

Christopher Moller Gallery