An intimate look into Amoako Boafo’s world at Gagosian

In 2018, Amoako Boafo’s Hands Up sold for over 2.6 million pounds at a Christie’s auction, setting a world record for the artist. Just three years later, he was commissioned to paint the parachute panels on top of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket ship. The three pieces - Self Portrait with Pink Tulips (2021), Shormeh’s Gold Earrings (2021), and White and Gold Head Wrap (2021) made up Boafo’s Suborbital Triptych and travelled to space, returning intact eleven minutes later.

Now, Boafo presents his first London retrospective at the Gagosian. Titled I Do Not Come to You by Chance after Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s 2009 novel of the same name, this exhibition is anchored by portraits of the artist's family and community as he re-examines Western understanding of contemporary Africa and African diaspora. 

Born in Accra, Ghana, in 1984, Boafo’s work is rooted in celebrating African identity through portraiture. His subjects are often friends, family and members of his wider community, who are depicted, striking expressive poses, with their direct gaze establishing a connection with the viewer.

Gagosian retrospective: A return to roots

In this exhibition, Boafo invites the audience further into his world through a full-scale re-creation of the courtyard of his childhood home in Ghana. By recreating this space, he shares memories of growing up and the moments that shaped the foundation of his practice. It also reflects on the many communal spaces such as shared studios, he was invited to collaborate creatively in his early years, which played a vital role in developing his skills.

Stepping into the dark, immersive walls of this recreated courtyard within the stark white of the gallery offers a moment of sensory contrast. Raised by his mother, the space is adorned with canvas portraits of the women who shaped him. In White Lace Cape (2025), a woman stands tall, hands on her hips, draped in a cascading lace cape that stretches beyond the frame. The piece becomes a tribute to the strength, grace, and wisdom of the maternal figures in his life.

The paintings featured in this exhibition are designed with flowery and comforting prints that represent cosy and homely spaces. To create his portraits, he uses black and brown paint and a contrasting blue, that paints his famous technique of using his fingers, swirling the many colours across the bodies. Boafo uses thick layers of paint across his canvas adding a three-dimensional effect to some of his works, showcasing calm spaces centring Black culture and reframing stereotypes.

Critical reception and market recognition

While American art dealer Larry Gagosian further refers to Boafo as the “future of portraiture”, Mariane Ibrahim, a Somali-French art dealer with eponymous galleries in the US, France and Mexico, describes Boafo’s work as an “act of rebellion” - one that purposely deconstructs traditional portraiture and figuration, while also serving as an act of making and reclaiming one’s own history. 

Inspired by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Barkley L. Hendricks, Boafo succeeds in his efforts to diversify the mainstream portrayal of people of African descent. As a blue-chip artist with a strong market presence, Boafo is a low-risk artist whose work frequently appears at auctions across the world. His work has been acquired by institutions including the Denver Art Museum, Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the Leopold Museum in Vienna and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York

I Do Not Come to You by Chance at the Gagosian in London, offers art collectors and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to connect with Boafo’s intimate, personal and powerful work. The large scale portraits draw you closer to the artist and his community and if you imagine adorning it within the walls of your own space, platforms such as Artscapy bridge the distance between the gallery and the home. With a mission to make not just buying and selling work easier but also manage the collection, Artscapy offers cognitive tools that help make the art market, much like Boafo’s work, an inviting and welcoming space for all.