Pabi Daniel (b. 1999) is an Accra-born Ghanaian painter and advocate of hyperrealism, whose precision in rendering faces comes from years of sculptural practice. His technique draws on the Adinkra ideograms of the Akan language to address Black identity and social and political issues. Half of each sitter’s face is painted realistically while the other dissolves into swirls of impasto evoking burns and scars, yet the gaze stays calm.
b. 1999, Ghana
Pabi Daniel was born in 1999 in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He is known as a versatile painter and an advocate of hyperrealism. A distinctive feature of the artist is the precision in facial representation, which is the result of many years of practice in the art of sculpture. This skill allows him to create three-dimensional paintings with thick strokes of paint, effectively conveying the emotions of the subjects.
The artist's painting technique is inspired by the writing symbols used in the Akan language, specifically the ideograms called Adinkra. He uses these symbols to address societal issues, black identity, and engage in social and political commentary, incorporating them into the body gestures depicted in his paintings.
In Daniel's works, one side of the subject's face is rendered realistically, while the other dissolves into abstract swirls of impasto. Amidst thick layers of vivid paint that evoke burns, scars, and sores, the subjects' gaze remains tranquil. Observing these contrasting sides of the face, one begins to question the accuracy of their own perception. How can one distinguish between what is real and what has been constructed? According to Daniel, "History has been nothing but a cover-up when it comes to the story of Africans." He believes in the need to lift the metaphorical carpet and represent what has always been there – the thriving cultural evolution of his people.
