Michael Jackson Blebo
Born in 1993, Ghanaian, Lives in Accra, Ghana
Michael Jackson Blebo, also known as MJ (b. 1993), is a Ghanaian artist who resides and works in Ada-Accra. MJ got his Bachelor in Fine Arts (Sculpture) in 2018 from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. He has participated in local and international residencies such as Critlab and Rele Arts Foundation Bootcamp in 2020 and 2021, respectively. MJ is fascinated by his environment, as he draws inspiration wherever he finds himself, from cities, urban centres, villages, markets, lorry stations, etc. Additionally, he has participated in several local and international group exhibitions. Middle Grounds, a show he staged at Nuhalenya-Ada; Unearthed: Revealing the Roots of Environmental Art in Africa; Refuge: An Unusual Home. In 2021, his works were featured in the group show ‘‘Young Contemporaries’’ curated by Adéoluwa Olwajoba at the National Museum in Onikan-Lagos, Nigeria.
He is the 2021 Absa L’atelier Ambassador. MJ’s art practice has been experimental, as he makes colours from plants, charcoal, earth, etc. found in his environment. Space determines the materiality of his practice. He investigates nature, the memory of the material, natural architecture, and humankind’s relationship with the environment. Primarily working with drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation as a point of entry into his exploration of geological formation and architecture, he raises questions about how artwork is viewed.
These elements are usually welded or constructed into installations referencing aesthetics from abstraction, kinetic sculpture, and minimalism. MJ’s works employ materials such as charcoal, Phyto, red ochre, steel, mirror, etc. and utilize indigenous working techniques, methodologies, and aesthetics to directly connect his work to historical context and tradition. The durability of the materials employed is what informs his technique and process. This has made MJ adopt techniques like encaustic and egg tempera, which are ancient and contemporary.
He is the 2021 Absa L’atelier Ambassador. MJ’s art practice has been experimental, as he makes colours from plants, charcoal, earth, etc. found in his environment. Space determines the materiality of his practice. He investigates nature, the memory of the material, natural architecture, and humankind’s relationship with the environment. Primarily working with drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation as a point of entry into his exploration of geological formation and architecture, he raises questions about how artwork is viewed.
These elements are usually welded or constructed into installations referencing aesthetics from abstraction, kinetic sculpture, and minimalism. MJ’s works employ materials such as charcoal, Phyto, red ochre, steel, mirror, etc. and utilize indigenous working techniques, methodologies, and aesthetics to directly connect his work to historical context and tradition. The durability of the materials employed is what informs his technique and process. This has made MJ adopt techniques like encaustic and egg tempera, which are ancient and contemporary.
Artworks
