If you visit the Serpentine North Gallery to see the Barbara Chase-Riboud exhibition or any of their other exhibitions this summer, take the time to stroll round the back of the main building to see the big, bright new mural.
Joy and Grace by Atta Kwami (2021 to 2022) Maria Lassnig Prize Mural, Serpentine North Garden, 6 September 2022 to 3 September 2023. Courtesy the Estate of Atta Kwami. Photo: Hugo Glendinning.
It’s the work of painter, printmaker, independent art historian and curator, Atta Kwami, born in 1956 who passed away in 2021. It was in this final year of his life that Kwami won the 2021 Maria Lassnig Prize which led to this mural commission.
Its title is ‘Joy and Grace’ and it’s a good example of Kwami’s abstract style and bright palette. The information label nearby explains that the use of uneven shapes of bold colours reference the strip-woven textiles of Kwami’s native Ghana, especially a style called kente, made famous by the Ewe and Asante people of Ghana.
Kwami style riffed off Ghanaian styles of painting vending kiosks, signs, houses and other street furniture. It can also be seen as a visual equivalent of Ghanaian music and, in particular, jazz. Kwami was known for painting kiosks and archway sculptures that were conceived as expanded three-dimensional paintings which took advantage of, and interacted with, their different settings. The information panel quotes him as saying he sought a certain ‘musicality, rhythm and tone’ in his compositions which I think you can see.
The panel also explains that the work was not actually painted by Kwami but was based on one of his designs and painted by his widow, Pamela Clarkson, who shared a studio with him for over 30 years, and by his friend, designer, Andy Philpott, who collaborated on Kwami’s constructions. So it’s by way of being a labour of love and a tribute to a beloved husband and friend.
The mural looms over the outdoor part of the gallery’s café. As you can see in the first photo, there’s a patio and chairs and tables just beside it. Buy a coffee, sit and relax, and enjoy the interaction of structure, colours and location.
The day I visited was sunny so the clear blue sky overhead brought out the squares and strips of various shades of blue in the mural. Coming down to earth, the mural is set behind the foliage of a carefully constructed garden. This was designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd. It was cut back when I visited in March but as spring advances bushes, shrubs and grasses will thrive and bring out the greens and browns in the mural. The visitor’s interaction will change subtly with the advancing seasons.
Joy and Grace by Atta Kwami. Photo by the author
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