Myth, Masks, and LEGO: Ekow Nimako’s Elaborate Afrofuturistic Sculptures

Mythology, landscapes, and technology converge in the meticulous, Afrofuturistic sculptures of Ekow Nimako. Using thousands of black LEGO bricks, the Ghanaian-Canadian artist explores legends and folklore of the African diaspora, creating figurative embodiments of allegorical creatures and spiritual beings. Through a single, modular medium, he highlights a wide range of cultural phenomena, from graffiti writing in his series Building Black GRAPHICA to sprawling metropolises in Building Black CIVILIZATIONS.

Recently, Nimako has been working on a collection inspired by African ceremonial masks, interstellar travel, machines, and geometric forms. Some of the works seen here are currently on view in Building Black AMORPHIA: Spiritual Starships at Harbourfront Centre, which is part of a program celebrating Black culture called ZUUMBA 365.

Nimako recently installed a multi-part piece titled “Children of the Rouge Valley” at the Rouge Valley Community Recreation Centre in Scarborough, Ontario, and he’s currently working toward another public installation on a Canadian university campus. Building Black AMORPHIA: Spiritual Starships continues in Toronto through August 31. Find more on the artist’s Instagram, including updates about forthcoming e-store drops.

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