Dela Anyah

Dela Anyah's artistic practice spans sculpture, painting, and installation, focusing on the transformative power of discarded materials such as inner tubes, tires, license plates, and bicycle rims—objects commonly found within vulcanizer and vehicle repair spaces. Drawing inspiration from the unconventional aesthetics, dynamic forms, and movements found in the world of fashion, his work explores the concept of rebirth through decay. Influenced by elements of nature—nests, vines, and symbols of new beginnings—his creations embody a narrative of regeneration and renewal.

Dela approaches rubber inner tubes as fabric, intricately weaving them into garments that tell stories of their former lives, histories, and speculative futures, had they faced destruction. This process of collection and transformation reveals the inherent beauty and purpose in what was once considered worthless, breathing new life into decaying objects.

His artworks become storied objects, steeped in the histories of their materials, the environments from which they were salvaged, and the eras they represent. Each piece represents a continuous dialogue between past and future, decay and renewal, challenging viewers to reconsider notions of value and beauty.

Through his work, Dela aims to cultivate a deep appreciation for the discarded and overlooked, emphasizing the potential for regeneration and the beauty that emerges from neglect and decay.

Dela Anyah was the Second Runner-Up for the Kuenyehia Prize. His work is included in the collections of the Celine Art Project (Puerto Banus), Sir David Adjaye (New York, London, Accra), the Kuenyehia Collection, the Institute Museum of Ghana, and the Isshaq Foundation in Accra, Ghana.

Selected solo exhibitions include: Nubuke Foundation, Accra (2023), and The Noldor Residency, Accra (2022).

Selected group exhibitions include: The Anzai Gallery, Tokyo (2024), Museum of Science and Technology, Accra (2023), Institute Museum of Ghana, Accra (2023), Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York (2023), and Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen (2023).