OpenArtExchange is delighted to present “Hello 2026!”, a group exhibition celebrating creativity, renewal and transformation as we welcome the New Year. Running from 24 January to 7 March 2026, the show coincides with a festive opening reception (24 January, 15h–17h) featuring New Year’s drinks. 

As the beginning of 2026 has already been marked by political turmoil and unprecedented events, this exhibition hopes to show that another path is possible. Resisting a world increasingly defined by polarisation and fear culture, the artists in this exhibtion present strong counter narratives. They explore individual stories that illuminate broader social realities, and inspire hope for the future we can shape together. Each of the five featured artists brings a fresh vision, reimagining materials and ideas in hopeful, imaginative ways, perfectly fitting the spirit of beginnings and change.

Featured Artists

Joselyna Pemba (b.1990, Angola) – Pemba is a multidisciplinary painter whose colorful collages and acrylic works feel like satirical poetry on canvas. She builds rich, “ghostly” scenes populated by whimsical, sometimes skeletal figures that symbolize rebirth and transformation. Using simple materials, Pemba infuses her work with social commentary: ants and insects march across her pictures as playful metaphors, and her characters embody values like love, discipline, kindness and respect. In short, Pemba’s visionary style – layered, surreal and vibrant – revives old virtues in a modern world, suggesting that caring and creativity endure even in uncertain times

Armand Boua (b.1978, Ivory Coast) – Boua brings a raw, street-wise intensity. He is known for painting on found cardboard with acrylic paint and tar, then scratching away the surface to reveal haunting images. The result is a powerful, weathered look: ghostly faces and shadowy figures emerge from the panels. Boua’s subjects often appear as formless children or masked figures, reflecting the struggles of everyday life and the impact of political conflict in West Africa. By transforming discarded cardboard into art, Boua turns the ordinary into the extraordinary – giving new life to humble materials and reminding us of human resilience amid hardship.

Demba Camara (b.1970, Ivory Coast) – Raised in a family of traditional Guinean sculptors, Camara creates wooden robots, space vehicles and toy-like figures that fuse ancestral craft with pop-culture imagination. He carves and assembles painted wood, plastic and metal into cheerful, retro-futuristic sculptures. Camara’s anthropomorphic robots – complete with bright colors, beads and playful expressions – recall both African totemic art and 1970’s sci-fi cartoons. Each piece celebrates transformation: what was once scrap or driftwood becomes a vibrant symbol of creativity and hope, bridging past traditions with a childlike vision of the future.

Casca (Portugal / Angola) is a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, drawing, collage and mixed media. Born into an artistic family and shaped by years spent in Angola, including time living with the Chokwe people, his work draws deeply from African cultural heritage. His bold, graphic compositions often feature mask-like faces and symbolic figures, combining traditional motifs with a contemporary, almost pop-art energy. Casca’s work explores identity, memory and storytelling, and reimagines cultural narratives in a vibrant, personal visual language.

Rafiy Okefolahan (b.1979, Benin) – Rafiy brings a bold, neo-expressionist energy to the exhibition. Trained in glass painting and photography, he now paints in acrylic and mixed media with a vibrant, textured style. His canvases bustle with abstracted human figures rendered in thick, gestural strokes. Each painting pulses with intensity – layered colors and rough textures that recall Basquiat or Bacon yet remain uniquely his. Through raw form and color Rafiy expresses the struggles and triumphs of everyday people. His work reminds us that out of chaos and challenge can come something beautiful: resilience, community and new possibilities.

Each artist in Hello 2026! uses different media and themes, but all share a spirit of renewal. Together they transform the old into the new, whether by repurposing scrap, reworking tradition, or reimagining the human figure. We invite you to visit OpenArtExchange in Schiedam this winter to experience these works firsthand, and to celebrate a new year of creative transformation.

Save the dates:
Exhibition: 24 Jan – 7 Mar 2026
Opening reception: 24 Jan, 15:00–17:00 (New Year’s drinks)