Wi Bakyad | Our Backyard (2025)
Watercolour on Paper | 45cm x 30cm
From the Curator:
Wi Bakyad (Backyard) captures the intimacy of Sierra Leonean domestic life — the private world behind the wooden houses that define Freetown’s streets. Painted in radiant hues of gold, blue, and rust, the work evokes the atmosphere of an afternoon where stories, laughter, and chores intertwine. Friends gather pan bodi (on a board bench), laundry hangs to dry, a pot simmers nearby. For John Francis, these backyards are living archives of community — where memory is spoken, not built. His fluid watercolor technique mirrors the rhythm of conversation itself: spontaneous, layered, and full of warmth.
Shipping:
- Ships in a tube from Sierra Leone with international courier with online tracking option.
- Shipping Cost included in the price.
- Standard international shipping of 12 business days after receipt of National Gallery approval paper to ship the artwork (24 hours).
Payment Options: Secure payments are processed with encryption and fraud protection (Visa, MasterCard, PayPal).
Returns: 7-day please refer to our return policy.
Documents Provided: Certificate of authenticity in the buyer's name or any other name provided by the buyer.
Needed further information? Please refer to the "More information" section at the bottom of the page or reach out to us via our Live Chat. We're here to help!
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About the artist
John Francis Sesay is a self-taught watercolour impressionist from Freetown, Sierra Leone. His work captures the vanishing architecture and cultural identity of his homeland, focusing on the Krio board houses—wooden dwellings built by freed Africans in the eighteenth century. Through luminous washes of colour, he transforms these fading structures into symbols of memory and resilience.
He began painting during secondary school and held his first exhibition at the Gaga Gallery Arts Centre shortly before the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002). During his years of exile in The Gambia, he refined his technique and embraced the expressive depth of watercolour. His works have since been exhibited in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and at the 2025 Dakar Biennale (off programme).
Winner of the International Watercolour Masters Award in the U.K., Francis is preparing for forthcoming exhibitions in the United Kingdom and Switzerland in 2026. His paintings are held in institutional collections, including the World Bank, as well as in private collections worldwide.
MORE INFORMATION
Shipping:
- Packaging: Ships in a sturdy tube from Sierra Leone with an international carrier, ensuring safe delivery.
- Tracking: Includes online tracking options.
- Cost: Shipping cost is included in the price.
- Delivery Time: Standard international shipping takes 12 days.
- Artwork is shipped with a National Gallery approval paper, processed within 24 hours.
- Artwork Condition: Rolled canvas, ready to be stretched and framed upon arrival.
Returns: 7-day return policy.
Payment Options:
Secure payments are processed with encryption and fraud protection (Visa, MasterCard, Paypal).
Documents Provided:
- Authenticity: Certificate of authenticity in the buyer's name or any other name provided by the buyer.
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