Set at Ussher Fort, an abandoned slave trading post in Accra, Ghana, this series, ironically titled Taboo, depicts a young man occupying space in a place where that freedom was once forbidden. With this work, Cofie hovers on the idea of land reclamation, as a momentary reflection of today's reality, framed within the colonial structures that preceded it - a meandering between the past and present. Similarly, the protagonist (Holali) meanders between light and shadow, using the movement of his body as a statement of agency.
Presented in partnership with Nia Centre for the Arts.
Delali Cofie is a Ghanaian-Nigerian photographer currently living in Toronto, Canada. Through storytelling he engages in multiple genres of photography, such as fashion, music, street photography and fine art. His personal work seeks to highlight beauty whilst exploring social-political issues, taking inspiration from the human experience, both of his and those around him.
Nia Centre for the Arts is a Toronto-based non-profit dedicated to promoting, showcasing and preserving Afro-diasporic art. Since 2009, Nia Centre has created meaningful cultural, artistic experiences rooting in Black traditions. In 2020, the Centre launched construction to transform their facility into Canada’s first professional multidisciplinary Black arts centre. Learn more at niacentre.org.
