Rufai Zakari Bawku, Ghana, b. b. 1990

Rufai Zakari was born in 1990 in Bawku, Ghana. He divides his time between the cities of Accra and Bawku.

He graduated from the Ghanatta College of Art and Design in 2011.

In his work, Zakari examines consumerism, environmental pollution, commerce, and the impact of industrialization on contemporary Ghanaian society. His practice is grounded in the recycling of materials found on the streets. As part of his work, he founded the Rujab Eco‑Art Foundation in his hometown, with the aim of rebuilding the social fabric of his community and bringing hope after decades of social conflict.

His solo exhibitions include galleries such as Kristin Hjellegjerde in Berlin, T293 in Rome, and Kristin Hjellegjerde in London. He has participated in group exhibitions including The Armory Show, The Breeder, New York; Intersecting Identities, Arushi Gallery, Los Angeles; Global Positioning, Public Art Fund in New York, Boston, and Chicago; Entre‑acte, Sel‑èbe Yoon, Dakar; More Is More: Visual Richness in Contemporary Art, Akron Art Museum; 1‑54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London; Devil’s in the Detail, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London; This Exhibition Is Untitled, Nubuke Foundation, Accra; “CirculArt” Sustainable Art Exhibition by Eco Reward, Casa Trasacco, Accra; World Behind the Horizon, Gess, Düsseldorf (2019); Sustainable Art Workshop, Merck Foundation, Dubai; Sustainable Art Workshop, British High Commission, Accra; Violence Against Women, Alliance Française, Accra; “Yoomo Be Ga” Recycle Art Exhibition, Museum of Science and Technology, Accra; and the mural African Champions in Lagos.

His work can also be found in public and private collections such as the Arthur Lewis Collection (United States), the Easton Capital/John Friedman Collection (United States), the Nubuke Foundation (Ghana), the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection (United States), the Ditau Collection (South Africa), the Susan Goodman Collection (United States), the Akron Museum, and the JOM Collection (Senegal).