The show, titled The one that got away, offers a unique take on the Vienna-based artist’s expressive portraiture, which positions figures in their natural environment, unveiling each individual’s essence or aura through compelling patterns and rich colors that nearly resemble a mosaic. To this end, while the show puts Boafo’s canvases at the forefront, audiences can also enjoy his debut exploration into mosaic and stained-glass mediums, an expansion of the artist’s repertoire that nonetheless pays homage to his signature style. It is important to note that the artist’s subjects aren’t strangers or public personas, but friends and collaborators—always people with whom he has a personal connection.
The exhibition is a testament to the resilience of humanity, and to the artist’s growth as he experiments with new mediums, creating stained-glass and mosaic works that are improvisational in nature and free from constraints while reinforcing the artist’s loyalty to his subjects.
Excerpted words written by Charles Moore in The Brooklyn Rail.
