When Jesus Wears a Golliwog Mask and the Game Console Glows in Ghana

A flash of color and contradiction greets visitors to Larry Achiampong’s exhibition, where familiar images of Jesus are interrupted by bold, unsettling overlays—a black circle with red lips, echoing the infamous Golliwog caricature. These collages aren’t just visual puzzles; they dig into the tangled roots of colonialism, Christianity, and pop culture. Achiampong’s posters, styled after the graphic language of churches in once-colonized nations, expose how European missionaries recast holy figures in their own image, embedding whiteness as a symbol of salvation. The artist’s hand-built wooden frames nod to the overlooked labor behind both religious icons and art itself. Video games flicker nearby, referencing Christianity in unexpected ways—here, the player’s control contrasts sharply with the commandment-driven world of faith. By blending high church visuals with the pixelated drama of games, Achiampong spotlights how both realms often sideline Black identity, yet brim with untapped cultural meaning. In this space, sacred and digital worlds collide, and every halo comes with a glitch. #ContemporaryArt #PostcolonialVoices #BlackBritishArt #Culture