Curated by Dr. Alice Korkor Ebeheakey

404: ACCOUNTABILITY NOT FOUND features the work of Ghanaian satirical artist, Bright Ackwerh. Ackwerh’s interests lie in the social injustices and perplexities faced by Ghanaians and other Africans at the hands of “trusted” officials and heads of state whose lack of accountability and indifference to the plight of their people go unmentioned. His work questions the contemporary relationships these officials have with Europe, Asia, and the US and how these relationships and decisions affect the working class in Africa. The exhibition will highlight selected works by the artist from 2018 to date. Ackwerh employs digital technology in creating two dimensional satirical illustrations and cartoons that speak to impositions on the Global South instigated by local officials as well as foreign interests, including problems of pollution and neo-colonial exploitation, among other narratives.

Representation of Africa in the global media is often lacking, biased, and inaccurate. Africa is presented as a continent rife with sickness, war, and corruption – an image that reinforces stereotypes, and stokes xenophobia and cultural intolerance by and against Africans (on and off the continent). These depictions, in addition to government corruption, have had a major impact upon the representation – and experiences – of Africans around the world.  To counter these destructive generalizations, this exhibition offers insight into the history and culture of labyrinthine relationships among nations. The result will be to stimulate dialogue that will advance broader cultural understanding. Ackwerh’s cartoons use humor to present the unique perspectives of an insider and leave judgement to the viewer as to what should be done to right the wrongs in society.

Bright Ackwerh

Bright Ackwerh (b. 1989) is an artist from Ghana and a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, where he earned a BFA and MFA in Painting and Sculpture. His practice is situated in the fields of painting, illustration, and street art. Ackwerh's practice has been influenced by the Ghanaian artist duo FOKN BOIS and the work of Nigerian activist and musician Fela Kuti, particularly in their approach to social commentary. His focus has recently been centered on artistic explorations of pop culture as medium. As part of a larger artist-making project, and in collaboration with some development-based agencies in Tamale, he has assisted in organizing art workshops in the Northern regions of Ghana. His work has been shown in group exhibitions in Ghana and abroad, including two of the three pioneering large-scale exhibitions launched by blaxTARLINES, namely: "Cornfields in Accra" in 2016 and "Orderly Disorderly" in 2017 and his first solo, "Where De Cho Dey" in 2018. He was named the recepient of the Kuenyehia Prize for Ghanaian Contemporary Art in 2016. In 2025, his first North American solo exhibition, "Cartoons From Accra", was organized by colleagues and friends in Toronto due to unfair visa restrictions and his consequent inability to travel.

Alice Korkor Ebeheakey is an African art historian whose approach to research and pedagogy hinges on the ‘sank၁fa’ philosophy of the native Akan society in Ghana. This, she believes, offers cross-disciplinary exposure leading to an extensive understanding and awareness of all facets of life in Africa. In her work, she examines relationships within epistemological thought, art, and philosophies of Africa. She finds great interest in the historical values of African body markings.  

Korkor’s passion for art and art history has seen her interact with the diverse art community in conferences, exhibitions, seminars, and art residencies. Her recent contribution was featured in a group exhibition titled, “The Gift. Stories of Generosity and Violence in Architecture”, held at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich – Germany (with the University of Michigan as partners), curated by Łukasz Stanek and Damjan Kokalevski in 2024. She is currently a Lecturer and Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of Michigan's History of Art department.

"Since the upsurge of the World Wide Web more than two decades ago, those searching the internet have occasionally encountered the message, “404: Page Not Found.” This visual notification often stirs frustration and disappointment. The exhibition title replaces “Page Not Found” with “Accountability Not Found,” taking a cue from this sentiment of frustration and disappointment to situate itself within the context of artistic social commentary. Through the satirical paintings of Bright Ackwerh, this exhibition offers insight into lived experiences in contemporary Africa and visual representation of a singular yet collective response to these experiences. The exhibition explores how art can confront the global challenge of holding elected officials accountable for their actions. At its core, 404: ACCOUNTABILITY NOT FOUND examines the exploitative dynamics between the Global North and the Global South, particularly the onerous conditionalities attached to aid. The works highlight how colonial legacies persist in modern forms of hegemony.

Ackwerh’s use of social archiving to ensure viral circulation of his images can be seen as an artistic rendition of argumentum ad hominem in logic. He produces digital paintings and shares them on social platforms – platforms designed to both circulate and restrict access to information meant to provoke questions about global engagements. The exhibition invites audiences into a paradoxical space where laughter collides with discomfort, prompting reflection on personal, national, and global responsibilities. In doing so, it gestures toward the possibility of horizontal accountability in systems otherwise dominated by vertical hierarchies of power." -Alice Korkor Ebeheakey

Opening Reception

Friday, January 16, 6pm - 8pm

A2AC Gallery
117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI

Free

Ghanaian artist Bright Ackwerh brings his satirical political paintings to Ann Arbor Art Center

by Pulp Staff
Tue, 01/13/2026 - 4:15pm