LARRY ACHIAMPONG

With works that examine his communal and personal heritage – in particular, the intersection between popular culture and the residues of colonisation, Achiampong crate-digs the vaults of history. These investigations examine constructions of ‘the self’ through the activity of splicing the audible and visual materials of personal and interpersonal archives, offering multiple perspectives that reveal the deeply entrenched inequalities in contemporary society.

Achiampong recently shot his first feature and most ambitious film to date - Wayfinder, which was distributed by Verve Pictures for cinematic release across the UK in July 2022 and is available on DVD and major streaming platforms. Achiampong’s Wayfinder was longlisted for a BAFTA award in 2023 in the category ‘Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer’. Set during a pandemic, the film tracks the movements of its central protagonist - The Wanderer, a young girl (played by Perside Rodrigues), on an intrepid journey across England. Travelling from North to South, The Wanderer passes through different regions, towns and landscapes, encountering people, stories and situations on her way. Presented across six chapters, including ‘The North’, ‘The Land of Smoke’ and ‘The Kingdom of the East’, this epic film builds a dialogue around the themes of class and economic exclusion, belonging and displacement, cultural heritage and the meaning of home.

Achiampong has presented projects across the UK and globally, including commissions with Art on the Underground, London (2022); The Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool (2021) and The Line, London (2020).

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