The first museum survey of Ghanaian-German artist Zohra Opoku traces a decade of textured reflections on identity, memory and belonging.
Zohra Opoku, I have brought to pass…, 2023. Photo: Aurélien Mole. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim.
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) will open ‘We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight’, the first museum survey of Ghanaian-German artist Zohra Opoku, on Thursday, September 11 2025. Curated by Beata America and Dr Phokeng Setai, the exhibition brings together over a decade of work in cloth, print, photography and installation, mapping an artistic journey that interlaces personal history with broader cultural inheritances. The survey will remain on view until October 4 2026, on the Level 3 Elevator Side of the museum.
Born in 1976 in Altdöbern, East Germany, and now based in Accra, Ghana, Opoku’s practice bridges geographies and histories through a deeply personal lens. Initially trained in fashion design and photography, she extends textiles into a layered visual language that addresses ancestry, diaspora and the often-invisible threads of cultural memory. For Opoku, fabric is not just a medium, but a vessel for storytelling, sanctification, and the act of remembrance.
Reflecting on her trajectory, the artist notes:
“The transition from being based in Germany to being in Ghana and bringing those two worlds together in a conversation—whether through material, handcraft, or memory—is important. It allows others to relate to the work, especially within the diaspora, where people have similar experiences.”
This survey traces Opoku’s practice through three recurring elements that anchor her work:
- Water — fluidity, ritual and sanctification, as seen in After the prayer / before the prayer (2018).
- Breath — life force suspended between mortality and transcendence, explored in The Myths of Eternal Life (2020–2024).
- Ground — stability, belonging and identity, depicted in works such as Queen Mothers (2016), Unravelled Threads (2017) and Give Me Back My Black Dolls (2024–ongoing).
The exhibition title, ‘We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight’, draws from the Book of the Dead (also known as Coming Forth by Day), an ancient Egyptian funerary text that guides the soul beyond earthly life. For Opoku, this invocation is both a record of passage and a declaration of resilience in the face of turbulence.
Co-curator Beata America observes:
“The curatorial intent speaks to emotional fortitude, mental tenderness and spiritual depth, positioning Opoku at the centre of her universe—steady and alert—both protector of, and protected by, the life-giving sun that illuminates her path. The exhibition stands as an homage to ancestral presence and future lineage, grounded in the knowledge that while life is fleeting, the soul endures.”
Through layered works in photography, textile and installation, Opoku creates a textured archive of identity that moves fluidly between personal experience and collective memory. The exhibition highlights how repeated motifs, such as cloth, breath and ritual, reappear across her practice in ever-expanding forms.
‘We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight’ forms part of Zeitz MOCAA’s ongoing commitment to producing in-depth solo exhibitions that centre artists from Africa and its diaspora. As a museum dedicated to advancing contemporary art from the continent, the show exemplifies Zeitz MOCAA’s mission to deepen art historical knowledge, amplify diverse artistic voices and position African practices in global dialogue.
The Mellon Foundation and BMW South Africa generously support Zeitz MOCAA’s exhibition and curatorial programming.
The exhibition will be on view from September 11 2025, until October 4 2026. For more information, please visit Zeitz MOCAA.
