One of Accra’s oldest and most respected art galleries, Berj, has expanded beyond the capital to open a new space in the coastal town of Busua.
The new site, which officially opened on July 5, marks a striking new chapter in Ghana’s contemporary art scene and cultural geography.
Founded by art patrons Joyce Quarshie and William Prempeh, the new Berj space is far more than a gallery. It is an ambitious cultural and ecological initiative housed in a home of historic resonance — the birthplace of Hannah Cudjoe, one of Ghana’s foremost independence activists and a grand aunt to Quarshie.
Cudjoe famously led the campaign to release Ghana’s “Big Six” after their arrest in 1948, and her legacy of resistance and mobilization permeates the vision for this project.
The new Busua site will serve as a residency and retreat for contemporary African and diaspora artists, offering space for studio work, exhibitions, community programs, and research.
The Berj Artist Residency
Known as the Berj Artist Residency, the initiative emphasizes support for women creatives and artists engaging with socio-political themes, especially those rooted in environmental and postcolonial concerns.
The residency is underpinned by a deep commitment to interdisciplinary work — spanning visual art, performance, and multimedia — with an eye toward issues that are both locally urgent and globally resonant.
That vision comes sharply into focus against the backdrop of galamsey, or illegal gold mining, which has ravaged neighboring communities like Butre.
The environmental and social toll has galvanized Berj’s founders to advocate for art as a force for sustainability, economic resilience, and cultural continuity.
Fragments of Knowing
The new space opened with “Fragments of Knowing,” a group exhibition curated by Kukua Kweku-Badu, which will run through September 8.
Featuring ten artists with ties to the Western Region — including celebrated names like Owusu Ankomah, James Cudjoe, and Kobina Nyarko — the show grapples with questions of identity, ancestral memory, and belonging.
One of the exhibition’s centerpieces is an immersive, ecological installation by Kojo Biney, situated in the experimental food forest of Odo Valley, a short walk from the main site.
Nearby, Ray Agbo’s performance art — a conceptual piece drawing from oral traditions and climate discourse — offers visitors a rare multisensory experience that bridges ritual, land, and urgency.
Also featured are works by Patience Kofuma Annan, Ray Agbo, Kojo Biney, Essel Ekuban, Mia Ghogho, Helena Ama Sackey, and Elijah Sofo — artists whose practices are deeply attuned to the region’s cultural topography.
Berj’s expansion has been made possible with support from the Goethe-Institut Nigeria, highlighting growing transnational collaboration across West Africa’s cultural institutions.
