“INTERWOVEN SYSTEMS”

Personal exhibitionn of R.O.Mantey

iKonica Art Gallery presents Interwoven Systems, a solo exhibition by Ghanaian artist R.O. Mantey (Richard Okyere Mantey), on view from March 14 to 20, 2026.
Originally from Larteh-Akuapem, in Ghana’s Eastern Region, R.O. Mantey has developed an artistic practice deeply rooted in environmental sustainability and the connections between natural and psychological systems. Working across sculpture and painting, the artist explores the visible and invisible structures that shape human experience.
At the core of his research is the reuse of reclaimed materials — particularly wood and discarded objects such as mobile phones. Collected from construction sites, carpentry workshops, and urban environments, these materials are transformed into sculptural compositions and mosaics that reflect on the consequences of contemporary consumption and the fragile balance between technology, society, and the environment. The artistic gesture thus becomes an act of regeneration, in which discarded matter is given new life and new meaning.
Alongside this environmental dimension, Mantey’s painted works explore the inner landscape. His abstract compositions — inspired by cartography, urban transit systems, and the dynamics of the subconscious — visualize mental pathways, memories, and emotional connections. Lines, marks, and chromatic layering build genuine cognitive maps, where thought takes shape and becomes space.
Deeply influenced by Ghanaian visual culture and Adinkra symbols — in particular the Nkyinkyim symbol, representing initiative and dynamism — Mantey’s work reflects on the interplay between tradition and contemporaneity, between natural materials and technology.
Over the course of his career, the artist has exhibited across Africa, Europe, and the United States, and his works are held in major public and private collections. Among his collectors are prominent figures such as the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as well as international institutions and organizations.
With Interwoven Systems, R.O. Mantey invites the public to reflect on the deep relationships connecting environment, technology, mind, and society — proposing an art that not only represents the world, but suggests new ways of living sustainably within it.