From a courtyard in Accra to Gagosian Mayfair in London, Glenn DeRoche and Amoako Boafo reimagine space as memory, blending personal history, ancestral craft, and collective presence into a living, breathing exhibition.
DeRoche Projects. Installation view of Amoako Boafo, ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ at Gagosian Mayfair. Photo: Julien Lanoo.
Designer and Architect Glenn DeRoche, founder of Accra-based DeRoche Projects, joins artist Amoako Boafo in a profoundly personal collaboration that unfolds across three continents. Their latest project begins with ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’, a solo exhibition at Gagosian Mayfair in London that reimagines the gallery as a site of gathering and remembrance. At its centre is a charred timber pavilion, abstracted from the courtyard of Boafo’s childhood home in Accra—translated not as a literal space, but as a sensory container for memory, rooted in West African traditions of community and care. Alongside this, the sculptural installation Nkyinkyim brings together Boafo’s first freestanding double-sided painting with woven and crafted elements that evoke his coastal upbringing. Together, these spatial interventions blur the line between environment and artwork, reflecting a shared vision in which form, memory, and identity converge—and where viewers are invited not just to see, but to dwell.
Original courtyard, Accra, Ghana. Photo: Edem Tamakloe
ART AFRICA: The courtyard from Amoako Boafo’s childhood home plays a central role in the exhibition. How was this personal memory translated into architectural form, and what guided the decision to abstract rather than replicate it?
Glenn DeRoche: The courtyard is the heart of it all. It isn’t just a space but a pulse and gathering point for exhibition visitors, much like it was for friends and family while Amoako lived there. When we set out to translate that memory into an architectural form, the goal wasn’t to reconstruct brick for brick, but to distil its spirit—the energy, the openness, and the way it holds community. Rather than replicating the structure, I leaned into abstraction, which gave me room to honour memory without freezing it. I created a neutral yet layered space that could complement Amoako’s work, giving that courtyard life a new context—one rooted in the past, but breathing in the present.
The exhibition reimagines the traditional white cube to create a more immersive and culturally resonant environment. What were some key considerations in reshaping the gallery space this way?
When Amoako invited me to collaborate on his first London show, we agreed that the white cube wouldn’t serve the work. His paintings carry stories of community, rest, and resilience. The design had to reflect that, so I centred it around the idea of the courtyard from his childhood home —not as a replica, but as a memory made physical. That guided everything. I introduced warmth, texture, and rhythm—elements that echo the lived experience behind the work. It was about creating an environment that could hold both the personal and the political without muting either. The space doesn’t just present the art; it participates in the storytelling.
DeRoche Projects. Installation view of Amoako Boafo, ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ at Gagosian Mayfair. Photo: Julien Lanoo.
This collaboration follows projects like dot.ateliers | Ogbojo and the Volta Pavilion. How has the creative exchange between Amoako and Glenn evolved, and what new ground does this exhibition break?
Our collaboration has always concerned building a visually, culturally, and architecturally shared language. From dot.ateliers to the Volta Pavilion, each project deepened our understanding of space as an extension of identity. What’s evolved is our intuition. There’s less need to explain, and more space to trust. This exhibition breaks new ground by collapsing the distance between the paintings and the space. The architecture isn’t a backdrop—it’s an emotional landscape that responds to the work. We wanted visitors to step into Amoako’s internal world and feel it.
The installation Nkyinkyim combines painting, furniture, and architecture into a unified spatial sculpture. What is the significance of this piece, and how is it intended for visitors to experience?
Nkyinkyim draws on themes that have shaped my projects—collaboration, craft, and the interplay between materials. The timber and woven elements were handmade in Ghana, highlighting the artisan practices central to the concept. The piece is more than a spatial sculpture; it becomes a setting. It’s a space to gather, to experience, and to engage. During the vernissage, it came alive when Amoako and friends played Conkin with a custom card deck by Naila Opiangah. That moment captured the show’s spirit: the piece wasn’t static, but a living environment meant to be shared and celebrated.
DeRoche Projects. Installation view of Nkyinkyim, ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ at Gagosian Mayfair. Photo: Julien Lanoo.
Community, memory, and identity emerge as recurring themes throughout the exhibition. How did these ideas inform the conceptual and material choices behind the project?
They weren’t abstract themes—they shaped every material and conceptual decision. For instance, the charred wood cladding on the pavilion wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was a choice made because of the tactile finish, its symbolism, and how the material is grounded in cultural memory. The textured surface unified the pavilion as one monochromatic material that resulted in a sculptural artefact within the space, transforming it into an abstract, almost elemental volume that invited gathering and reflection. It also speaks to the memory of firewood used in cooking—an act tied to nourishment, family, and daily life in West African courtyards. These are spaces where identities are formed and shared. I wanted the architecture to carry that resonance. Visitors aren’t just moving through a gallery; they’re stepping into a space where personal and collective memory converge.
DeRoche Projects. Installation view of Amoako Boafo, ‘I Do Not Come to You by Chance’ at Gagosian Mayfair. Photo: Julien Lanoo.
This is the first of three site-specific iterations. How might the design evolve in response to the distinct contexts of the United States and Ghana?
The design doesn’t evolve—the story does. Each iteration represents a new chapter in Amoako’s journey. While the show will be anchored with spatial interventions, the materials used will change to reflect the narrative being told and what can be sustainably sourced or fabricated within the city we are working in. That’s especially true in the US, where import restrictions pushed us to think more creatively. I’m very excited about when the show comes home to Accra as the approach expands further. It moves beyond the traditional gallery context and into the fabric of the community. That’s all I can say for now without spoiling too much!
For more information, please visit DeRoche Projects.
