Exhibition by Mimi Kassi
Adinkra - 2 collections of work by the Artist Mimi Kassi will be exhibited at the Window Galleries this May. Read on to find out more!
My practice is rooted in ancestry, memory, and reclamation. My first collection, Akinkra No, emerged from a deeply personal and historical response to the displacement of African artefacts, particularly those taken during events such as The great Benin kingdom loot of 1897. These objects, now held in Western museums and galleries, carry cultural, spiritual, and historical weight that extends far beyond their physical form.
In response, I began recreating and reinterpreting these artefacts through a contemporary lens. Rather than direct replication, I produce stylised works that reclaim their presence mentally, spiritually, and artistically. As someone of West African heritage, specifically from Ivory coast this process is an act of honouring my ancestors and restoring a sense of ownership over narratives that were disrupted through colonial extraction.
Materiality plays a crucial role in this reclamation. I work with traditional elements such as raffia, gold leaf, wood, iron, and jewellery forms, embedding symbolism and coded language within each piece. The title Akinkra No draws from the visual and philosophical language of Adinkra symbols, reflecting a system of communication rooted in heritage, identity, and meaning.
The second collection evolves naturally from the first a continuation shaped by the chain reactions of colonialism and its lasting social and political consequences. Where the first body of work looks back to reclaim, the second looks outward, examining resistance, unity, and the power of collective identity
I draw particular inspiration from movements such as the Black Power movement, which emerged as a response to systemic injustice. Often misrepresented as extreme, the movement fundamentally embodied unity, self-determination, and empowerment not only for Black communities, but also in solidarity with other ethnic minorities who faced similar oppression.
This body of work explores the visual language of resistance particularly the bold aesthetics of propaganda: vivid colour palettes, striking portraiture, and symbolic imagery. Elements such as the Pan-African flag, the Black Power star, and other emblems of solidarity are recontextualised within my practice. I merge these Western-coded symbols of protest with influences from the African diaspora and the “motherland,” creating a dialogue between histories, geographies, and identities.
Together, these collections form an ongoing conversation between past and present, loss and reclamation, oppression and empowerment. My work exists as both tribute and resistance: honouring those who came before me while asserting presence, identity, and agency in the present.
Visit Adinkra at the Fusion Arts Window Galleries throughout May 2026. You'll find the galleries on Friar's Entry, just opposite Turtle Bay restaurant.
