‘At the conjuring of roots, I wished to meet Me…’ is an exhibition of photos by Toronto-based, Ghanaian-Nigerian photographer and visual artist Delali Cofie on five digital screens at Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square).

“Inspired by traditional West African costuming practices, I explored the physical manifestation of self through masquerade garments. Like the Otoghe-Toghe masquerade from Arombga, Nigeria, its body segmented in rows that spoke to me of a piling upon of history overtime. Old family clothes of mine and my father’s served as the base material that I combined with raffia, used bed sheets, and fabric scraps sourced from various tailor shops in Accra, Ghana. Artifacts of time that become a constructed archive of personal history.

Working with local artisan communities, through processes of dyeing and sewing, I realized that the process of becoming is as communal as it is individual. There is no “self” without the many hands and interactions of others. Similarly, various subjects embody these garments, considering them as extensions of themselves, existing between spaces of confrontation, concealment, and revelation. They join me on my journey of self-formation, as mirrors through which I understand the cyclical nature of being.”

– Delali Cofie

Delali Cofie (b.1999) is a Ghanaian-Nigerian photographer and visual artist currently living in Toronto, Canada. Through storytelling he engages in multiple genres of photography such as fine art, documentary, and fashion. His personal work presents subtle beauty whilst exploring themes of family, self-formation, and becoming. Frequently creating work between his native city Accra and current city Toronto, his work tells a tale of two cities, linked by a diasporic thread. He has been exhibited in galleries across Ontario, namely Gallery 44 and Gallery 101. In 2022, his work was featured in legendary Ghanaian photographer James Barnor’s retrospective catalogue at the Arles Photography Festival. Delali had his first solo exhibition, A Place of Ours, included in the CONTACT Photography festival in Toronto (2022) whilst creating commissioned work for the Royal Bank of Canada. He is a recent graduate and medal winner for photography from OCAD University.

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To see more works by Delali Cofie, visit the DesignTO-curated group exhibition ‘REVIVE’ at Harbourfront Centre, which includes more photos from the series ‘‘At the conjuring of roots, I wished to meet Me…’’ as well as select costumes shown in the photos.

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This edition of ‘At the conjuring of roots, I wished to meet Me…’ is curated by DesignTO, and supported by the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto, with venue partner Sankofa Square.

About DesignTO

DesignTO is a non-profit arts organization celebrating 15 years of designing a sustainable, just, and joyful future. From January 24-February 2, 2025, the DesignTO Festival features 100+ free events across Toronto, showcasing hundreds of artists and designers. Known as Canada’s largest annual design festival, DesignTO has welcomed over 1 million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, supported 6,500+ artists, and generated $120 million in tourism impact. “DesignTO isn’t just a festival; it’s an anti-loneliness machine,” co-founder Christina Zeidler remarked, underscoring the organization’s power to foster belonging and spark vital conversations about design’s role in shaping a better world.