In 1962, Picelj initiated a series of his self-published “Edition a” art booklets, having released a total of seven publications up until 1964. Each issue of “Edition a” featured the work of one artist —mostly of a colleague whose work he admired.
In 1962, Picelj initiated a series of his self-published “Edition a” art booklets, having released a total of seven publications up until 1964. Each issue of “Edition a” featured the work of one artist —mostly of a colleague whose work he admired.
2026
African wax print, nylon ropes on wooden panels
100 x 100 cm
Estimate: €200,000–300,000
In HYMNES FOR THE REBEL SOUL, Ibrahim Mahama – recognized by ArtReview as the world’s most significant artist in 2025 – continues his exploration of material as a carrier of memory, history, and exchange. The work takes the form of a “painterly textile,” composed of fragments of wax-dyed fabric (wax prints), which the artist collected for several years in markets in Ghana.
Mahama builds dynamic color contrasts and formal tensions by stitching together pieces of vivid, richly decorated cloth. By doing this, he reflects the complex history of the material: inspired by Indonesian batik traditions, yet industrially produced in Europe and Asia, it embodies the global circulation of forms, meanings, and identities.
Ibrahim Mahama (b. 1987) is a contemporary artist known for monumental installations made from repurposed jute sacks, through which he addresses themes of global trade, labor, and postcolonial histories. He graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, where he completed his doctorate in 2015.
Mahama seeks to redefine the social role of art. He founded two spaces dedicated to promoting contemporary art and education through community-based projects: the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art and the Red Clay Studio complex. Both centers are located in his hometown of Tamale, Ghana, and encourage visitors—including many local children—to undertake artistic projects using recycled materials, learn about the history of labor, and imagine its future.
Ibrahim Mahama has participated in major artistic events around the world, including documenta 14 (2017) and the Venice Biennale (2015, 2019), and has realized projects in institutions such as the Barbican Centre and Whitechapel Gallery (London). In 2023, he was appointed artistic director of the 35th Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts. He has also participated in, among others, the Sharjah Biennial, the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, exhibitions at The High Line (New York), the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and Centre Pompidou (Paris). He is represented by White Cube and Apalazzo Gallery.
