Emma Prempeh is a British artist with Ghanaian and Vincentian heritage based in London. She has won the Ingram Collection Purchase Prize (2019), the Alumno Space Bursary Award (2019), and was a participating artist in Bloomberg New Contemporaries (2019). She also won the Valerie Beston Trust Arts Award (2022). Emma is represented by Tiwani Contemporary, London & Lagos who recently presented her works at Frieze Art Fair, London 2025.
The exhibition has been listed in Artcube’s 10 must-see exhibitions around the world.
Within her multimedia paintings and digital projections, the internationally acclaimed artist consistently returns to the theme of home. This is her first commission for a publicly funded gallery, and her first solo exhibition in the North of England. In developing the commission of new work Emma has been experimenting with new research methods, incorporating the stories of African-Caribbean people in Hull. She’s led workshops and attended community gatherings, inviting people to contribute creatively to the work she’s developing. Community members were welcomed to 87 Gallery to meet the artist and work with her to add their stories – whether in text, image or mark-making – to the paintings she’s created for the commission.
On working with Artlink Hull | 87 Gallery, Emma said “I have really enjoyed working with everyone because everyone is so friendly, and I feel at home and that has pushed me to work harder on this show. It’s been a great experience. Every time I have come here, every time I have interacted with the community, everything is so organised, everything is so considered, everyone is heard”.
Emma has also worked with Artlink’s in house artist-led design studio MiscPrintCo to produce a limited – edition screen print on GF Smith paper, inspired by flowers seen on her visits to local greenspaces around Hull. Having never screen printed before, this is part of a creative development opportunity Artlink offer to all artists they commission, and the artworks are available for sale with all proceeds going back into their work. So, as well as securing yourself a beautiful artwork, you will also be directly supporting Artlink. The prints are available to purchase in person at 87 Gallery (including a HU postcode discount) or online here: https://www.at87.co.uk/
You can find more info here, including a short film about the artist and her work: https://87gallery.co.uk/nearness
