Gallery 1957 is currently presenting What Stains, What Stays, a solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist Cornelius Annor, curated by Ato Jackson. The exhibition opened on September 24 in Accra and will remain on view until November 7, 2026.

Known for his figurative paintings and portraits, Annor draws from family photographs and images found in online archives to create scenes of everyday Ghanaian life. His paintings often focus on moments that may seem ordinary, from people gathering at home to friends spending time together, resting, dancing, and celebrating.

For What Stains, What Stays, however, Annor takes his practice beyond painting. The exhibition introduces object and sculptural works that expand his ideas around family, memory, and cultural inheritance.

What Stains, What Stays, a solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist Cornelius Annor. Courtesy of the Artist & Gallery 1957

A key part of this new direction is Annor’s use of African textiles. He transfers the pigments from the fabrics onto canvas before combining them with acrylic paint. The process leaves behind both an image and a physical trace of the textile, allowing the fabric to become part of the story being told.

The use of textiles also connects the works to questions of heritage and memory. African fabrics often carry personal and cultural meanings, and Annor uses them to hold onto moments that could otherwise disappear with time.

Objects associated with family, hospitality, and togetherness also play an important role in the exhibition. Familiar domestic forms, including tables, are reimagined as movable objects that encourage people to move around them, gather, and interact with them.

This interest in objects is closely connected to Annor’s own family history. His father was an ebony wood sculptor, and his work left a lasting impression on Cornelius. In this exhibition, that influence returns as Annor moves between painting, sculpture, objects, photographs, and archival material.

The connection creates a conversation between two generations. His father’s sculptural practice becomes part of Annor’s own exploration of memory, allowing ideas and forms from the past to enter a new body of work.

Cornelius Annor, "Chacha", What Stains, What Stays, exhibition. Courtesy of the Artist & Gallery 1957

At the centre of the exhibition are the small moments that make up family and community life. A gathering around a table, time spent with friends, caring for one another, or simply being together can seem temporary. Annor’s work asks what happens to those moments after they have passed.

Through paint, fabric, sculpture, objects, and photographs, What Stains, What Stays turns these everyday experiences into lasting records. The exhibition connects the private world of the home with wider questions of family, culture, inheritance, and memory.

Rather than focusing on extraordinary events, Annor looks closely at the ordinary moments people often take for granted. In doing so, he shows how these moments can stay with us long after they have ended and become part of the stories we carry forward.

What Stains, What Stays is currently on view at Gallery 1957 in Accra until November 7, 2026.