CHRISTIAN HIADZI (Ghana/UK) | Dandy, 2018 | Acrylic, oil, canvas, 49x43

Christian HIADZI (Ghana / UK)

Christian Hiadzi is a contemporary African artist and professional architect, born in Ghana and later moving to London, where he still resides. Christian spent almost a decade working in architecture, design, and engineering fields before dedicating himself to painting.

In the artist's work, figurative, stylized compositions blend with strict lines, vivid colors inspired by his native Ghana, influences from the world of fashion, and often a monochromatic background. His portraits reveal the conflicts and complexities of human thoughts, serving as a means of "observing the human soul." The contours of faces filled with abstract images challenge imagination and encourage going beyond the limits of obvious perception.

According to Christian, his paintings are "a means to carry the viewer's imagination beyond the limits of obvious perception, aiming to reject the everyday, rebel against archetypes in the contemporary world, and challenge the status quo of society."

His main influences include Turner, Francis Bacon, Anselm Kiefer, as well as the works of fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

The artist's works are collected and exhibited internationally. Christian Hiadzi's pieces were presented at the Reclaim award exhibition in Cologne, Germany, in 2021, at Leyden Gallery and Cylinder Gallery in London in 2017, at the Candid Art Gallery's art and design fair in 2009, and at the Mite of Art exhibition in London in 2005. His artwork has been featured in publications such as Afropunk, ART Habens, and Brogue Magazine.