Art Düsseldorf

Represented by Borderland Residency

About Me

Martin Toloku is Ghanaian multidisciplinary artist born 1992 in Adidome the Volta region of Ghana.

He graduated in 2013 from Sogakofe Senior High School, ( SOGASCO ), where he studied visual art majoring in ceramics and later took an apprenticeship in sculpture with a traditional carver. He is an alumni of Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam ( 2022 to 2024)

Martin Toloku’s practice evolved over the years from carving to installation, video work, studio practice, live performances and collaboration with both humans and animals (usually termites). He is fascinated about the materiality of 'process of decay', death, life, time, space and nature with its inhabitants. Collecting dead and rotten wood from rivers, streams, sea, lakes, forests and his environment Toloku attempts to recreate conceptual and performative compositions of both life and death into daily experiences. However, he seeks to experiment and inquire into decay as metaphor while in his performances are emotionally and spiritually challenging the audience in facing their own sense of mortality.

Toloku has featured in several exhibitions and has participated in international artists residencies/biennales such as iii residency program 2024 The Hague, perfocraZe International Artist residency (2019 Kumasi, Ghana), Ghana Must Go Forward (2018 workshop supported by Nubuke Foundation, Basecamp Initiative and British council), Territoire de Creation art residency 2015 at Lome Togo, Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana 2024 and Kampala Art Biennale ( KAB20 ) 2020.

He also participated in Chale wote street art festival Jamestown Accra, 2017 to 2019 and several group exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany and Barcelona.

Toloku is currently working on a new project inspired by the theme DECAY.

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