Sampson Addae

Through my work in installation, research, and object creation, I delve into the intricate relationship that exists between individuals and the everyday items that surround them. From the garments we wear to their broader implications on the world, I explore the profound significance of clothing in our lives. Beyond mere utility, clothing often serves as both a cultural symbol and a personal identity for the wearer. The journey of these garments extends beyond a single owner, as they can be passed from one person to another as secondhand carrying with them the potential to bring joy and assistance. However, the fate of these items is not always a positive one; over time, their significance can diminish, and they may ultimately be discarded as waste.
My artistic practice delves into the complex issue of discarded clothing and its impact on local communities and ecosystems, shedding light on the interconnectedness of consumption, waste, and environmental degradation. My art pieces are made from the used clothes I gather from people. I usually find it difficult to classify my art pieces as collages or sculptures because, in an attempt to do that, I feel they become objects without life. To me, each piece of clothing I use in my art practice is charged with traces of memories, sweat, perfumes, saliva, and strands of hair from their owners therefore I refer to them as anonymous bodies. Putting these bodies together in creating my art pieces produces a community of anonymous bodies with unique characteristics, each having its voice and language but at the same time having a unified aim.
Whenever I work on these pieces in my studio, I usually imagine what the clothes I rescued would have become if they were thrown into “Charity bins”. Therefore, I mimic a scene of garbage as it would have probably been the fate of the clothes in Africa. Some of my art pieces are mostly named after communities and water bodies in Ghana which have been densely polluted by remnants of second-hand clothes since I grew up in Ghana. Even though my art practice acts as a comment and a critique of the uncontrolled consumption of second-hand clothes from the global north into Africa, beyond this, I also play with the subjects of monstrosity, beauty, gravity, flexibility, and rigidity. The cluster of bodies in my work projects a topography of filth and death but at the same time colorful. Its harmonious and contrasting colours are inviting and it puts the viewer in a state of contemplation, questioning the paradox of “beauty and monstrosity”.