Delali Cofie's journey into photography is rooted in a time of stillness. It began with the ordinary act of documenting school life in Burkina Faso with a digital camera. However, it was in 2018, during a period of significant personal loss, that photography evolved from a simple pastime into a vital practice.
Delali’s work is intrinsically intertwined with his Ghanaian-Nigerian heritage and the duality of living between cultures. His thesis project, "At the conjuring of roots, I wished to meet Me," is a visual exploration of identity through the lens of West African masquerade. These images blend personal and cultural histories, creating a narrative that is both intimate and universally resonant.
Join us as we walk with Delali through the intricate terrains of memory and identity, where art transforms into a lifeline and a medium for self-understanding.
To explore more of Delali's work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram. You can also see his work in person at the upcoming group exhibition “It comes to me in waves” at Patel Brown Gallery in Toronto, opening on August 1—September 7, 2024.
Delali's work has been exhibited across Ontario, including Gallery 44 and Gallery 101, and is currently in the "Black Dreams and Aspirations" exhibit at Union Station in Toronto until August 31, 2024. His photography was featured in legendary Ghanaian photographer James Barnor’s retrospective catalogue at the Arles Photography Festival in 2022. Delali's first solo exhibition, "A Place of Ours," was included in the CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto in 2022, and he has created commissioned work for the Royal Bank of Canada. Delali will also participate in the Photo Vogue Festival in Milan in March 2025. An upcoming photobook is also in the works.
Don’t forget to follow ArtBeat on Instagram, subscribe to our podcast, and rate us on your favourite platforms.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.