Amoako Boafo's First Italian Solo Show Opens at Palazzo Grimani During Venice Biennale

Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo, known for finger-painted portraits of Black sitters, presents his first solo exhibition in Italy at Museo di Palazzo Grimani during the 61st Venice Biennale. Titled "It doesn't have to always make sense" and produced by Gagosian, the show runs from May to November 22, 2026. Boafo's works engage with the Renaissance-era palazzo's history, including a series of monumental abstractions by Georg Baselitz commissioned for the Sala del Portego. The exhibition features a "heroine wall" of 11 bust-length portraits against a marigold backdrop, including one of Koyo Kouoh, the late artistic director of the 2026 Venice Biennale and former executive director of Zeitz MOCAA. Boafo debuts embroidery techniques in works like White Swimsuit (2026) and Two Faces (2021–25). Venetian lace influenced both the paintings and exhibition design. The show opens with Mozzarella White Lace Top (2026) on damask-patterned wallpaper. Boafo collaborated with architect Glenn DeRoche of DeRoche Projects, with whom he previously worked on Dot Ateliers Ogbojo residency in Ghana. The exhibition includes a video of Boafo, works by friend Stephen Allotey, and poems by Raphael Worlasi Langani. Boafo describes the show as a conversation with Italy's art historical legacy, not an outsider's entry.