Samuel Olou

Olou, born in Togo and raised in Ghana, graduated from Ghanatta College of Art and Design in 1995. After working as a practicing artist, he moved to Norway, earning a Master’s from the Oslo National Academy (2007) and a Practical Pedagogic Education from OsloMet (2016). His multidisciplinary work spans public art, sculpture, installation, stone, and ceramics, exploring cultural globalization through exhibitions worldwide. His art has been showcased at prestigious venues, including the National Museum of Oslo, Ghana National Museum, Mali National Museum, the United Nations (New York), and international symposia in China, Senegal, Algeria, and Europe. He has participated in workshops and projects across Sweden, Burkina Faso, Norway, Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, and South America. Over 18 years, Olou has collaborated with cultural institutions, academies, and universities while initiating artistic and educational projects. In 2002, he founded Art in Aktion in Ghana and co-founded the Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA). In 2016, he established the Kamina Artist and Researcher Residency Platform (KARP) in Togo. He is also a member of the Norwegian Visual Artists Association (NBK) and the Norwegian Sculptors Association (NBF).

Olou has received several grants, including a residency in Skien, Norway (2008–09), research funding from the Baltic Art Centre, Sweden (2017), and support from Norway’s OCA (2022) and NBK (2024). His career reflects a deep commitment to cross-cultural exchange, education, and artistic innovation.

 Presentations, Lectures, and Professional Projects

2016 – Now

KARP, (Kamina Artist, and Researchers Residency Platform), Kamina, Atakpame, Togo. Kamina project brought together more than 30 local and international artists from around the world since 2016. The residency witnessed the presence of arts like Shwan Qaradaki, Victor Mutelekesha, Astrid Runde Saxegaard, Fadlabi, Lars Cuzner, Juan Andres Milanes, Ray Agbo, Marie blanche Oudraogo and many more from Togo, Burkina-Faso, Ghana, Norway. Benin, Sweden, (Sudan-Norway), Zambia, Cuba. The project aim is to rediscover the site of Radio Karina build and destroyed by Germans 100 year ago during the World War I, and to create and build an international Artist and researchers residency platform, artistic hub for artistic practice, exchanges and networks between the Nordic countries and West Africa

2014 – 2010

2010-14: Teacher: Tutorial, drawing, Sculpture, and installation, modeling in clay and plaster casting, Discussions, Documentation, and Experimentation. Interdisciplinary Art Institute (Det tverrfaglige Kunstinstitutt), DTK, Stabekk, Norway

Visiting lecturer: Art in The Public Space, Oslo Metropolitan University, (OsloMet), coordinated by Prof. Kristin Bergaust, October.

Teacher/project leader: Cultural Identity, Den Kulturelle Skolesekken (DSK), Akershus Fylke Norway.
2012: Visiting Lecture: Within, Without and Between Institutions in Ghana, Norway and Elsewhere, National Art Academy, (KHIO), Oslo, January.

2010: Workshop/Talk/presentation: Decolonial Aesthetics, BAC – Baltic Art Center, Visby, Gotland, Sweden, May.

International Workshop/Presentation/talk: Bamako art project, Conservatoire des Artset Multi‐Media (CAMM) and Musee National, Bamako, Mali, October

Presentation/contribution: Traces of the future – living in aftertime, Litteraturhuset, Oslo, coordinated by Prof. Paul Wenzel Geissler, (Dept. of Anthropology, University of Oslo), Oslo, October. Teaching and tutorials: Sculpture, modelling, Lycée Français, Oslo, October

2009

Visiting Artist/presentation: “Ese” art project, New York University (NYU), Steinhardt, New York, USA, January.

Workshop/Talk-Hemispheric: National University of Colombia, Bogota, coordinated by Prof. Diana Taylor, School of the Arts, New York University (NYU), May.

Workshop/Presentation/talk: Bamako art project, Conservatoire des Arts et Multi‐Media (CAMM), Bamako, Mali, October.

Workshop/Presentation/Talk: The survival of women artist in the art world, International Women Artists’ Workshop (IWAWO), Goethe Institute, Accra, Ghana, July Visiting lecturer: Art in The Public Space, Oslo Metropolitan University, (OsloMet), coordinated by Prof. Kristin Bergaust, October.

2008 – 2002

2008: Conference/Talk: Africa i Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, June.
Conference/participant: Conference on African Development, Nordic African Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark, June.

2007: Presentation/Talk: “Ese” Art project, MFA research project, Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA), Accra, Ghana, July.

2006: Visiting Scholar & Artist: Lectures, presentations, and studio sculpture. One to one meetings and talks with the Masters Students, New York University (NYU), Steinhardt, USA, fall semester. Supervised by Nanci Barton, Dean.

2004-05: Teacher: Tutorial, sculpture composition installation and critic, New York University, (NYU), Accra, Ghana, worked with Prof. Manthia Diawara and prof. Lyle Ashton Harris both from New York University.

2004: Round table/discussion: Overcoming Maps, Pan African Circle of Artists (PACA), Dubois Centre, Accra, Ghana, January. Talk/presentation: “Art for Development” College of Art, College of Art, (Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology), K.U.S.T, Kumasi, Ghana, May.

2003: Talk/Discussion: “Nude” Fine Art Department, American University, Cairo, Egypt, May. Teaching and workshop: African textile Design and textile history, Libreria Gonnelli, Florence, Italy, July.

2002-05: Workshops/symposiums/public debates: Art in Aktion, Accra, Ghana. Art in Aktion is an artist organisation working in the public space, street art and promotion of women artists in Accra and around the world. Art in Aktion started on the street of Accra in 2002 as (l´ Art dans la rue) during the Francophones week and become Art in Aktion in 2003.

 Selected curatorial and organizational Projects

2016-now: KARP, (Kamina Artist, and Researchers Residency Platform), Kamina, Atakpame, Togo. Kamina project brought together more than 50 local and international artists from around the world since 2016.

2010: International Workshop, North Meets West. Project initiator and Co‐organized with
Prof. Ole Lislerud, Conservatoire des Arts et Multi‐Media (CAMM) and Museé
National du Mali, Bamako, Mali. The international workshop and symposium is to
create a platform and a foundation for artistic practice exchanges and networks
between the Nordic countries and West Africa. The project brought together artists from
6 different nationalities; Mali, Togo, Burkina-Faso, Ghana, Denmark and Norway.

2009: International Women Artists’ symposium (IWAWO), the symposium for women artists was organized by Art in Aktion and financed by Goethe Institute, Accra, Ghana. The
project brought together 15 women artists from Africa and Europe. The symposium
witnessed the presence of two international Norwegian artists: Marian Heyerdahl and
Marie Asbjornsen. “Paper City” international workshop Skien, Norway Curator, member of the organizing team in collaboration with the Culture Department. During the workshop I created projects on immigration, painting on paper, making molds
and casting of the children feet from the age 7 to 15 years.

2005: Recycling art, Recup’art, International Workshop, organizer and curator, Art in Aktion. Exhibition Alliance Française (French Culture Center) and World Bank, Accra,
Ghana. The project brought together 15 local and international artists. The project ideas were focused on environmental problems.

2003-05: Board Member, Artistic and cultural adviser and curator: Alliance Française (French Culture Center), Tema, Ghana.

2004: Kpehe (Junction), organizer and curator, International Exhibition, Dubois Center, Accra, Ghana. Overcoming Maps. Pan African Circle of Artists (PACA), Dubois Centre, Accra, Ghana. Pan African Circle of Artists (PACA) is an activist movement of artists. Artists walked across different borders from countries to countries to experiment with the difficulties we face by crossing different borders in the West-Africa sub-region.
Participant countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Burkina-Faso, and Ghana.

2003: Breaking Barriers, International Workshop and Residency. Art in Aktion 2003, organiser and curator, Ghana National Museum and Alliance Française (French Culture
Center), Accra, Ghana.

2002: “L’art dans la rue”, (Street art and performance). International Workshop and
Residency. Organiser and curator. Exhibition Alliance Française (French Culture Center), Accra, Ghana 12 participant artists from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana

 Selected group Exhibitions, Workshop and symposiums

2024 International Art camp, Inter-Art, Transylvanian, Aiud, Romania

2022-23 Renewing Cultural Heritage, KARP, (Kamina, Artist and Researchers Residency
Platform), Kamina, Atakpame, Togo

2021 Østlandsutstillingen, Trafo Kunsthall, Asker, Norway

2019 Renewing Cultural Heritage, KARP, (Kamina, Artist and Researchers Residency
Platform), Kamina, Atakpame, Togo.

2018 Group Hug No.3, Low Standards, Oslo, Norway.

2016-18 Colonial Past, KARP, (Kamina, Artist and Researchers Residency Platform),
Kamina, Atakpame, Togo.

2016 Traditions, Transmissions & Contemporary Society, Madina, IFAA, Dakar Biennale Off, Dakar, Senegal (2 weeks residency).

2014 Thor Heyerdahl i Vollen, Hebbe Lille, Vollen, Norway.

2013 Sculpture Biennale, Vigeland Museum, Oslo, Norway.
OpenArt, Orebro, Sweden.

2011 Changchun International Sculpture Symposium, Changchun, China.

2010 Dakar Biennale Off, Dakar, Senegal. FESMAN (Festival Mondial des Arts Negres), Dakar, Senegal. North Meets West Museé National du Mali, Bamako, Mali.

2009 Smak, Kunstforening, Skien, Norway. Paper City, Klosterøya, Skien, Norway.
PANAF, (Festival des Arts Africans), Algeria. Tempo, Skine, Norway.  Flight, North East Gallery visitor’s lobby UN, New York, USA. Hovden, Snow Sculpture and symposium, Hoveden, Norway. Archeology of the future, Netherlands Institute, Paris, France and Eindhoven, Netherlands.

2008 Africa now, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA. Anders svor Museum, c/o Sogn og fjordane kustmuseum, Forde, Norway. Yonder, Gallery 69, Oslo, Norway. Laongo, International granite workshop and symposium, Burkina-Faso. View on Colours, a world of folk, Stavanger, Norway.

2007 Sana Africa, Horisont Kultursenter, Oslo, Norway.
Southern Comfort, Gallery 21‐27, Oslo, Norway.
Triennale, Keramikk‐glass 07, Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Arkitektur & Design,
Oslo, Norway.

2006 International Sculpture Symposium, Baerums Verk, Baerum, Norway.

 Selected Solo Exhibitions

2024 Les disparus, National Museum of Unification, Translyvaniian, Alba lulia, Romania Performace, Decolonised the table, Njokobok_Community, Oslo, Norway Am I blind? Sculpture project, KGG / Kolbotn Garasje Galleri, Kolbotn, Norway

2019 Les disparus, Aur prestegård, Auskog-Holand, Norge. Anonymat, Institut Francais, Lome, Togo.

2018 Les disparus, KGG / Kolbotn Garasje Galleri, Kolbotn, Norway.

2015 Decolonised the Table, One Night Only, Kunstnerhus, Oslo, Norway. Human skin, Wenken Tatoo & Gallery, Oslo, Norway.

2013 Territoir, Galleriy 69, Oslo, Norway.

2010 Kunst på Vandring, the pilot six months tour exhibition, Ånes, Kolboten and Asker, Norway.

2009 Samuel Olou, Fet, kunstforening, Fet, Norway.

2008 Where am I going? IKM, Museum, Oslo, Norway.

2007 Ekabo, National Museum, Accra, Ghana.

2003 S.O.S Globalization, Alliance Française (French Culture Center), Accra, Ghana. Monksgrange, Norman Gallery, Woxford, Enniscorty, Ireland.
Traces, Libreria Gonnelli, Florence, Italy. Visages, Alliance Française (French Culture Center), Tema, Ghana.

 Selected Published in Catalogues and Books

Oslo Kommunes 2013-14 kunstordning, P 20, Oslo, Norway.

Nork Skulpturbiennale-Norwegain Sculpture Biennale, 2013, p 80, Oslo, Norway.

Folk Magazine 2011,p 50/54, Oslo, Norway.

Kongoi Magasin, 2010, nettavis for kultur og underholding 18.Nov, Oslo, Norway.

Koro, 2009, p 122/123 Oslo, Norway.Modernity in African art today, 2009, p 56, Algiers, Algeria.

Africa Now, 2008 p 133, Washington DC, USA.

View on Colours, a world of folk, Stavanger, 2008 p 118, Stavanger, Norway.

Where am I going? 2008, IKM, Museum, Oslo, Norway.

Anders Svor workshop, Anders Svor Museum, 2008, Hornindal, Norway.

World Contemporary Ceramic, Public Art, 2006, China.

Afrique Europe, Reves-croises, 2006, p 33, Brussels, Belgium.

Recycling art, Recup’art, 2005, Accra, Ghana.

OpenAsia 04 International, 2004 Venice, Italy.

Wasla Workshop, 2003, Sinai, Egypt.

Biakoye, 2000, If association, Rome, Italy.
Legacy vol4, 2002 Accra, Ghana.

 Bibliography: Press

2016, L ́BALA, IFAAKamina, Artist in Residency, talk, National TV, November 27.

2010, Andrea Ihler Evensen “Samuel Olous føtter inntar galleriet, raumnes” January 28.

2010, kultur@oblad.no, www.oblad.no/…/dikt-fra-fotter-som-matte-flykte-1.4250083.

2009, Kari Gisholt “Snøstunt for en dag, Varden, Skien, Telmark” February 14.

2009, Jan Odinsen “ Barneføtter I tegt, Varden, Skien Telmark” April 18.

2009, Ole N. Olsen “Tok av seg skoen, Telmarkavisa, Skien, Telmark, May 11.

2009, Hanna Hekkelstrand “Barbeint kunsthjelp, Varden, Skien Telmark” May11.

2009, Marit Schulstøk “Mijøbiler Med Tempo, Varden, Skien Telmark” May 27.

2008, Hans-Tore Bjerkaas NRK, “Stiller ut i New York” https://www.nrk.no/telemark/stiller-ut-i- new-york-
1.6326456 , Publisert 26.11.2008. Kl.19.05.

2008, Marit Schulstøk “Til Ibsenhuset og FN, Varden, Skien, Telmark” November 27.

2007, Mona Larsen “Symbolske føtter, http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article 292566.

2005 , John Owo “International art workshop Opens, Daily MAIL, Accra Ghana” March 10.

2004, John Owo “ PACA tours Ghana, Graphic showbiz, Accra, Ghana” January 22- January 28.

2004, JohnOwo “ Exibition at Alliance Fracaise, Graphic showbiz, Accra, Ghana” Ap. 22- Ap. 28 .

2003, Libreia Gonelli, “In mostra l ́artista del Togo” LA REPUBLICA XI, Florence, Italy.

2003, John Owo “Olou ́s men stilts, Graphic showbiz, Accra, Ghana” June 19-June 25.

2002, Marari Alomele & Douglas Kwasi Owusu “Olou, Others Exhibit, The Ghanaian Times, Accra Ghana, March 22.

2001, John Owo “It ́s not freak accident, Graphic showbiz, Accra, Ghana” April 26. May 2.

2000, Ebenezer Hanson “Art exhibition marks francophone week, Dispatch, Accra, Ghana” March 19, ISSN -08553149.

1999, Elom Freddy “Art plastique: Felicite Codjo et Samuel Olou expose en duo au Ghoethe Institut, Crocodile, Lome, Togo” October 16.

1999, Dorothee Brouohm “De la peinture et de la sculpture exposées á l ́Instiitut Ghoethe”, Togo Press, Lome, Togo” December 21.