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BIOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Boateng is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice interlaces tradition and disruption, drawing from the intricate language of Kente weaving to reimagine audience experiences in contemporary art spaces. Rooted in the philosophies of Ashanti folklore, proverbs, and mythologies, his work echoes the rhythms of oral storytelling—where repetition is not mere redundancy but a means of reinforcing wisdom, preserving memory, and invoking transformation.
Much like the fabled Ananse Ntontan (Anansi’s web), Emmanuel’s artistic process is an interwoven network of histories, symbols, and gestures. His use of layering and repetition mirrors the Ashanti belief that “Nkyinkyim, na ɔbrɛ nyansa” (“It is through twists and turns that one gains wisdom”). Just as the weaver’s loom cycles endlessly to create new forms, his practice unpicks and reassembles narratives, disrupting linear histories and expanding the visual and conceptual possibilities of materiality.
Emmanuel holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Solent University (2016) and an MA in Fine Art from Winchester School of Art (2017). Currently pursuing a practice-based PhD, he examines how motif, structure, and labor in traditional craft intersect with contemporary artistic discourse. His work is not just about making but unmaking—deconstructing colonial histories, reshaping perceptions, and inviting alternative ways of seeing. Through his engagement with Kente’s visual lexicon—where colors and patterns communicate messages—he channels proverbs such as “Eban no so gye yɛn” (“The fence protects us”) to reflect on notions of belonging, boundaries, and cultural resistance.
Beyond the studio, Emmanuel is deeply engaged in participatory and collaborative practices, creating spaces where artists and communities converge. Like the Ashanti proverb “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a, yenkyi” (“It is not wrong to go back for what you have forgotten”), his work calls for a return to indigenous knowledge systems, fostering dialogue through public art programs, talks, workshops, and exhibitions. He envisions museums and galleries not as static institutions but as evolving, communal spaces where collective storytelling breathes new life into contemporary art.
His work has been exhibited internationally, including:
• Chartism, Winchester School of Art (2017)
• Knots, Backlit Gallery, Nottingham (2018)
• Lucky Dip, GHT Gallery, Southampton (2022)
• We Belong Here, Spud Gallery, New Forest, Southampton (2022)
• Thread, Southampton (2023)
• Fragments, Folds, and Frays, Stephen Lawrence Gallery, London (2023)
• Textiles are Intelligent, Koppel Projects, London (2023)
• Broken Spaces, Spud Gallery, New Forest (2024)
• Layered and Interwoven, Stephen Lawrence Gallery (2024)
• Textiles are Intelligent, Brownson Gallery, New York (2024)
