Ending 7th Jun, 2026 16:00
Olympia Timed: Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art 2026
310
NANA NYAN ACQUAH (GHANAIAN B.1966)
ASAFO 1
signed Nana Nyan Acquah lower left
acrylic on canvas
103 x 154cm; 40 1/2 x 60 1/2in
unframed
Property from a Private Collection, Accra
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner
Nana Nyan Acquah is a Ghanaian painter based in Accra whose bold, large-scale canvases draw on the rich traditions of Ghanaian military and communal pageantry. His Asafo series, of which the present workbelongs, takes its title from the Asafo companies, the historically significant warrior associations of the Fante people of coastal Ghana, whose colourful processional flags, rituals and insignia have long been a source of visual and cultural fascination. Working in acrylic with a confident, gestural hand, Acquah translates this heritage of collective power and ceremonial spectacle into contemporary painting of considerable graphic energy.
ASAFO 1
signed Nana Nyan Acquah lower left
acrylic on canvas
103 x 154cm; 40 1/2 x 60 1/2in
unframed
Property from a Private Collection, Accra
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner
Nana Nyan Acquah is a Ghanaian painter based in Accra whose bold, large-scale canvases draw on the rich traditions of Ghanaian military and communal pageantry. His Asafo series, of which the present workbelongs, takes its title from the Asafo companies, the historically significant warrior associations of the Fante people of coastal Ghana, whose colourful processional flags, rituals and insignia have long been a source of visual and cultural fascination. Working in acrylic with a confident, gestural hand, Acquah translates this heritage of collective power and ceremonial spectacle into contemporary painting of considerable graphic energy.
Auction: Olympia Timed: Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art 2026, ending 7th Jun, 2026
If you want to start collecting striking modern and contemporary art in a newly developing market, our sales are for you. Each spring and autumn, the Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Department hold tightly curated, live and online auctions. Expect to find Arab artists such as Rabab Nemr, Ahmed Farid, Seif Wanly and Fateh Moudarres. African artists featured have ranged from modern masters such as Ablade Glover, Sam Ntiro and Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, to contemporary artists George Lilanga, Jilali Gharbaoui, Famakan Magassa, Christano Mangovo, Oluwole Omofemi, Esther Mahlangu and Brett Seiler.
