The Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has allegedly been assaulted by police in his hometown. Over the weekend (21-22 March), videos and images emerged of the artist holding blood-stained clothing while talking about an incident allegedly involving members of the Ghanaian Inspector General of Police’s special operations team, known as ‘Black Maria’. “I was really assaulted by the police today; you can see how they broke my tooth, and then my mouth is bleeding and my ribs are all hurting,” Mahama said in one video posted by Ghana’s ChannelOne TV.
In an interview with CitiFM, the artist said the group assaulted him and his uncle during a traffic dispute in Ghana’s northern region of Tamale, where Mahama lives. He alleges the attack happened while the pair were returning to Mahama father’s house from a mosque, after Eid-Ul-Fitr prayers on Saturday (21 March). According to the artist, the policemen tried to manoeuvre their way through a traffic jam. “Then my uncle saw like an opening so that we could escape the traffic a bit,“ Mahama said. “And then they started banging on the car.” The artist says that after his uncle made a comment criticising their behaviour, the police entered their vehicle and attacked them.
During a press conference held on 23 March, the artist alleged that policemen had turned their attention to him after he had begun filming them. Mahama and other victims were treated at a local hospital in Tamale.
Mahama told the broadcaster GTV Ghana that the perpetrators were the Black Maria. The Black Maria team has reportedly denied the allegations, describing media reports as a misrepresentation of events. The Art Newspaper has approached the police force for comment.
During a press conference with local media on Monday 23 March in Tamale, Mahama said the assault has led to health complications including recurring headaches, rib pain, dental instability, and difficulty in resting. It “has put my life on hold,” the artist added. He explained he was scheduled to deliver lectures this week in London at the Royal College of Art, University of Cambridge, and Oxford University, and then travel to Helsinki, Amsterdam, and South Africa for other art events. All of these commitments have now been postponed.
Mahama is one of Ghana’s most successful contemporary artists. He is known for his large-scale artworks made from sewn-together jute sacks that he drapes over buildings to explore themes such as labour and globalisation. He invests money made from the sale of his works into building cultural spaces in Tamale, where he was born and raised. These include the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), and Red Clay Studio, which serve as important residency and education spaces in the region.
This past December, Mahama took first place in Art Review’s Power 100, which ranks the most influential people in the art world over a 12-month period—becoming the first African artist to do so. A few months prior, he was one of five people in the Ghanaian creative art community who received a diplomatic passport from the country’s ministry of foreign affairs, in recognition of their contributions to their country.
In an interview with local television station Channel 1 TV, Mahama said he is considering filing a lawsuit against the police, saying he wants to do so for the “benefit of the society”. He also said he wants a dismemberment of the Black Maria.
A group of Ghanaian cultural institutions including the SCCA, and the artist-led Foundation for Contemporary Art-Ghana and Compound Gallery published a press release on Monday (23 March) in which they condemned the alleged assault and set out a list of demands, including “a full, transparent and independent investigation into the incident”.
SCCA directed The Art Newspaper to the release when approached for comment. The Art Newspaper has also approached the artist directly for comment.
Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Ghana’s minister for tourism, culture and creative arts, meanwhile, posted an open letter on her Facebook page in which she addressed Mahama directly about the alleged assault. She paid tribute to the artist, and wrote: “It is therefore deeply troubling to hear of any circumstance that undermines your dignity and personal safety.” And added: “As a nation that prides itself on upholding justice, human rights, and the rule of law, such incidents must be addressed with the seriousness they deserve.”
The Ghana Police Service said in a press release that they have started investigations into the alleged assault.
