Amoako Boafo: Proper Love

This exhibition at the Belvedere in Vienna brings the career of the Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo full-circle: ten years ago, after graduating from art college in Accra, he studied for an MFA at the Academy of Fine Arts in the Austrian capital. ‘Proper Love’ – Boafo’s first museum show in Europe – celebrates his return in style, exhibiting his works across two floors (25 October–12 January 2025). The Lower Belvedere presents Boafo’s work on its own terms: it’s a chance to get acquainted with his finger-painting style, which he developed in Vienna and employs to depict friends and public figures. In Boafo’s hands (or with them), foregoing a brush does not sacrifice detail or texture, and his ability to capture the dance of light on skin is striking: some works, such as Bella Sontez (2019), seem almost marmoreal. In the Upper Belvedere, Boafo’s paintings are interspersed with works in the collection by Schiele, Klimt and others, drawing unexpected links between Boafo’s work – which foregrounds the Black figure – and theirs.

Find out more from the Belvedere’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary

Mr. Palm – Green Wristband (2022), Amoako Boafo. Photo: Mariane Ibrahim; © 2024 Amoako Boafo, licensed by Bildrecht, Vienna

Green Handbag (2021), Amoako Boafo. Photo: Mariane Ibrahim; © 2024 Amoako Boafo, licensed by Bildrecht, Vienna

Enyonam’s Black Shawl (2020), Amoako Boafo. Photo: Mariane Ibrahim; © 2024 Amoako Boafo, licensed by Bildrecht, Vienna

Mr. Palm with the Yellow Ball (2019), Amoako Boafo. Photo: Mariane Ibrahim; © 2024 Amoako Boafo, licensed by Bildrecht, Vienna