Pademba Road (2025)
Watercolour on Paper | 55cm x 39cm
From the Curator:
Pademba Road portrays a now-demolished bod ose, or Creole wooden house, that once stood along one of Freetown’s most traveled streets — the route linking the city’s heart to the State House. Painted from memory and early photographs taken after his return from exile, John Francis transforms a place of transit into a space of reflection. The warmth of ochre light and the soft movement of passersby evoke both familiarity and farewell. Through watercolor’s translucence, Francis reimagines the vanished building not as ruin but as remembrance — a quiet homage to Freetown’s disappearing heritage and the enduring life that still passes by.
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!
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.
Additional informations:
- Packaging: Professional packaging ensures safe delivery.
- Carriers: Trusted carriers (DHL and UPS) used for reliable shipping.
- Support: Dedicated customer support available for any queries or concerns.
- Customer Feedback: Our client rating is actively tracked and maintained, with a current rating of 4.3/5.
We take each piece of feedback and every recommendation very seriously and act upon them when appropriate.
Choose options