Godfried Donkor’s practice is shaped by an interest in how the cultural entanglements of the histories of Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean surface in visual culture, from the circulation of newspapers to the devotional language of icon painting. In his portraits and mixed-media works, Donkor brings together gold leaf and archival sources to question how certain figures are framed within dominant narratives. He explores the structure and clarity of early devotional imagery, adapting its iconography to representations of boxers, performers, and historical protagonists as sanctified presences. The selection presented in the exhibition includes works from Donkor’s ongoing investigations into the history of boxing in Ghana. Drawing on research on Ashanti war figures, and other fighting traditions, the series considers how martial movement and resilience reveal broader struggles of representation. Donkor’s works, such as St Muhammed (2022), feature protagonists who walk the fine line between endurance and vulnerability. They are encircled by glowing fields of gold that heighten their symbolic importance, highlighting how such athletes become icons of aspiration and collective pride. Through this constellation of protagonists connected to Ghanaian history, Donkor invites a renewed encounter with the cultural symbols which—as the Tirailleurs—help communities navigate uncertainty and imagine their futures. 

Works in the exhibition: St Muhammed (2022), oil, acrylic, ink, and gold leaf on canvas, 205 × 205 cm; St Roy Ankrah III (2023), oil, acrylic, ink, and gold leaf on canvas, 193 × 185 cm; Colossus III (2021), oil, acrylic, ink, and gold leaf on canvas, 150 × 150 cm; ST JACK, up to scratch on F.T. II (2019), collage on paper, 70 × 100 cm; ST BILL, up to scratch on F.T. (2019), collage on paper, 70 × 100 cm; ST JOE GANS, up to scratch on F.T. (2019), collage on paper, 70 × 100 cm; St Jack Broughton vs St George Stevenson (2019), oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on linen, 188 × 193 cm. All courtesy of the artist and Gallery 1957