Zohra Opoku’s Self-Portraits series is part of the Nature Sanctuary exhibit at deCordova and part of their Platform series as well. I share these links, quotes, and photos now with hope that you can go before these fascinating self-portraits have gone, October 4, 2026.

“Shown on a large-scale billboard and five smaller signs throughout deCordova’s Sculpture Park, Opoku’s Self-Portraits present the artist posed with her face partially covered by different plants.” (quote from Trustees, Sculpture Park, Opoku, Self-Portraits)

“Shown here, visitors discover Opoku’s photographs immersed and protected within deCordova’s varied environment of native and non-native plants. The title of the largest billboard image, Sassa, refers to a spirit connected to Asante religion and culture. In this composition Opoku disappears almost fully into nature.” (quote from Trustees, Sculpture Park, Opuko, Self-Portraits . )

These and the three additional self-portraits are printed on aluminum composite, positioned on wood.

“Opoku grew up in East Germany before traveling to and eventually permanently moving to Ghana, her father’s home country, in 2003. Opoku’s artistry marries her search for belonging with a desire for camouflage,…..“(quote from Trusteees, Sculpture Park, Opoku, Self-Portraits )

Opoku describes how the project started: “I was at an artist residency in Berkeley at the Kala Institute, and I ended up having more conversations with the landscapes around there and looking at myself. I was very intrigued by the fact that most of the plants are actually not from that area. They were immigrants, like me. …  “( quote from Zohra Opoku, Self-Portraits, Trustees, deCordova Sculptur e Park )

Consider how each self-portait relates to trees and other plants nearby. Also note that some of the portraits are partly hidden within the park landscape.

“The artworks of Nature Sanctuary express refuge, care, and shared protective relationship between humans and the natural world.   Through their work, these artists consider past, present, and future ramifications of climate change, as well as deeper histories of land use and the migration of people, plants, and animals across homelands. ” (quote from Nature Sanctuary Exhibit)

Key Resources: Zohra Opoku, Self-Portraits, Trustees, deCordova Sculpture Park: https://thetrustees.org/content/platform-33-zohra-opoku-self-portraits/

Nature Sanctuary Exhibit: https://thetrustees.org/exhibit/nature-sanctuary/

Zohra Opoku’s Evocative Reflections on Mortality and Resilience (aperture.org): https://aperture.org/editorial/zohra-opokus-evocative-reflections-on-mortality-and-resilience/