Nana Oforiatta Ayim

**Nana Oforiatta Ayim** be Ghanaian writer, art historian den filmmaker.

## Ein Background
Na dem raise Nana Ofosuaa Oforiatta Ayim insyd Germany, England, den ein ancestral homeland insyd Ghana. She study Russian den Politics for de University of Bristol wey he go on make she work insyd de Department of Political Affairs for United Nations insyd New York. She plete ein master's degree insyd African Art History for SOAS University of London.

Oforiatta Ayim dey cam from a political family insyd Ghana, de Ofori-Attas, wey dema power dey span both de traditional den de modern. Na ein maternal grand poppie be Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, de renowned king of Akyem Abuakwa wey na he hail as de Louis XIV of Africa, wey na ein great-uncle be J. B. Danquah, de scholar den politician wey give Ghana ein name den e start de political party wey bring about Independence.
## Ein Writing
Bloomsbury Publishing publish ein first novel *The God Child*  for UK for 2019 insyd, de US for 2020 insyd den Penguin Random House for Germany for 2021 insyd. Writer Ayesha Harruna Attah describe de book as "expansive den contemplative debut, themes of art, history, literature, film, den legacy intermingle plus Maya's coming-of-age. For *New York Times* insyd, Tope Folarin write say: "This is a story that is obsessed with stories; indeed, dem describe 'The God Child' as series of sharply drawn short fictions, each consequential wey dey ein own, each only glancingly connect to de others… As I read dis book, plus all ein leaps for tym den space insyd, I samtyms get de sense say anoda narrative running just dey beneath de surface of de text, sam alternate story wey de characters na adey read about simultaneously dey inhabit. Kojo den Maya dema migrations eventually lead dem back go Ghana, wer na dem dey hope say dem go find material wey dem dey hia complete dema story, for sam years. Sam story wey, like dis one, go illuminate Ghana ein history; sam story wey go coax samtin wey be whole from de broken parts of dema lives." Insyd *The Guardian*, Sarah Ladipo Manyika write say: "To date, there are only a few works of fiction that explore the African experience within continental Europe and just a handful address the Afro-German experience, so Ayim's book is important in helping to fill this gap. As we hear Maya pondering Goethe's idea of Weltliteratur and reflecting on just how lacking world literature actually is, books such as The God Child have the potential to enrich it and, in Berger's words, bring new ways of seeing."

## Ein Art history
Whilst na she dey research for ein master's degree for African Art History insyd, she realise all de terms den concepts wey dem use describe Ghanaian artistic expression be Western ones. Ein research for indigenous concepts lead am go de *Ayan*, sam form wey dem dey take tell history for Ghana insyd; den de *Afahye*, sam historical exhibition or Gesamtkunstwerk model. She start dey incorporate them for ein writing insyd for cultural narratives, histories, den institutions wey dey Africa. She dey speak regularly for new models of knowledge den museums, wey devise sam course for dis for de Architectural Association School of Architecture.

For sam interview bi plus de *Financial Times*, Ayim talk say: "It sometimes feels like everything happens in the diaspora. Dat be important wey we all be part. But now edey hia say we go focus for evolving work wey dey wonna continent insyd." She be de founder of de ANO Institute of Arts & Knowledge wey dey Accra, wey he san talk say "like a lot of people involved in creative work in Ghana den oda parts of Africa, it feels like it's not just enough for us to produce, but that we have to provide the context and the paradigms for that production."

To dis end, she create sam pan-African Cultural Encyclopaedia. *The New York Times* write say: *"The encyclopaedia will consist of an open-source internet platform for documenting past, present and future African arts and culture (starting with Ghana) and eventually will be published in 54 volumes, one for each country. An ambitious undertaking, the Cultural Encyclopaedia aims to change perceptions of the continent and help alleviate the frustration of African cultural producers concerned that their rich histories have been lost or forgotten over the decades because they lack good archives."*

She san create sam new type of Mobile Museum. For *The Guardian* insyd, Charlotte Jansen write say: "Ayim said she started to reflect on de museum model in Africa while working at the British Museum. Struck by how differently African objects were encountered in display cabinets in the UK with how they were actively used in festivals back home, she began to think about how material culture could be preserved and presented in a way that was more in keeping with local traditions." She is using the research gathered through the Mobile Museum to help create a new kind of museum model for the Government of Ghana that, she writes in *The Art Newspaper*, "honours and takes into account the many spirits of our communities, our environment, and our objects, both at home and those to be returned. A structure that will allow for narratives and exchange with, and across, other parts of the world, on equal terms".

After say she develop de narratives for, wey she curate de first institutional shows of, several Ghanaian artists, wey dey include James Barnor, Felicia Ansah Abban den Ibrahim Mahama, she curate de much acclaimed Ghana Freedom exhibition as Ghana's first ever Pavilion for de 2019 Venice Biennale. Na de pavilion be among de Biennale's most anticipated, wey chaw journalists name de pavilion as a "triumph" den highlight of de Biennale, particularly in tribute to its cultural underpinnings both for de country den de diaspora. *The Art Newspaper* write say "a palpable sense of pride" permeate de pavilion. Charlotte Higgins of *The Guardian* write say de pavilion mark sam subtle shift in balance as African national pavilions start dey contest de historic dominance of European pavilions for de Biennale, sam history intertwined plus colonialism.

## Ein Films
Nana Oforiatta Ayim cam turn filmmaker afta say she work plus economist Thi Minh Ngo den filmmaker Chris Marker wey dey new translation of ein 1954 film *Statues Also Die*. Ein films be cross of fiction, travel essay, den documentary wey dem dey show give museums globally. Dese dey include *Nowhere Else But Here* at The New Museum, *Tied and True* at the Tate Modern, *Jubilee* for de Kunsthall Stavanger, den *Agbako* for de Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

## Ein Awards den honours
Oforiatta Ayim be de recipient of de 2015 Art & Technology Award from LACMA den de 2016 AIR Award, wey dey "seek say ego honour den celebrate extraordinary African artists wey be committed say dem go produce provocative, innovative den socially-engaging work". Dem name one of de Apollo "40 under 40", as "one of de most talented den inspirational young people wey dey drive forward de art world today", sam *Quartz Africa* Innovator, for "finding new approaches den principles wey go tackle many of de intractable challenges faced for de continent", one of 50 African Trailblazers by *The Africa Report*, one of 12 African women wey dey make history for 2016 insyd den one of 100 women "wey dey build infrastructure, both literally den metaphorically, for future generations for Africa den Diaspora insyd" for 2020 insyd by OkayAfrica. Na she be Global South Visiting Fellow for University of Oxford. wey she be member of de university's Advisory Council. She receive de Ghana Innovation Award for 2020 insyd den de Woman of te Year Award for Ghana for 2021 insyd. For 2022 insyd, dem award am plus Dan David Prize.

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