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Focused on the historical, cultural, and socio-political situation in Ghana, the works of Ibrahim Mahama deal with issues related to exploitation at work, immigration, globalization, and the circulation of goods. 

Fatima Lelatu is part of a series of photographic diptychs devoted to Ghanaian women who migrate from their country to seek work.  The artist collected or commissioned the shoeshine boxes made by these women from discarded materials and personalized with small labels. In each diptych, a shot shows a shoebox being held by the creator, while a second shot enlarges the inner part of her forearm, so that the marking located there and corresponding to her name and country of origin is clearly legible. The marking serves to identify the person and her family in case of death. The fabrics visible in the background, albeit reproducing traditional African textiles, are actually low-cost prints made in China and exported to Ghana. These fabrics, just like the signs of the labor visible on the boxes, have the same purpose as the tattoo on the arm: they speak of the exploitation of work and the value of goods, even human ones.

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