Joshua Amissah (b. 1995, Switzerland) is an author, curator, cultural mediator, and art consultant. His work critically examines power structures in visual culture, exploring themes of representation, identity, and systemic narratives within contemporary art. An honors graduate of the Zurich University of the Arts, he studied Fine Arts, Photography, and Design, with a focus on identity and trend forecasting. His debut photography book, BLACK MASCULINITIES, received the ZHdK Promotion Award and was published by Hatje Cantz, earning a nomination for the Swiss Design Award 2023, with its launch at Art Basel, organized by the Federal Office of Culture.
Amissah curated „Black Art Matters“ (2020), still Switzerland’s largest photography exhibition exclusively showcasing works by over 70 Black photographers. From 2019 to 2025, he served as co-curator of „photoSCHWEIZ“ and was also one of the co-founders of the independent art space „bild8005“. His freelance practice includes collaborations with international clients such as documenta fifteen, VOGUE Germany, Boros Collection, SLEEK Magazine, Schauspielhaus Zürich, and Galerie Eva Presenhuber, among others.
In 2024, Amissah was shortlisted for the Art Directors Club Germany Award and nominated for the Swiss Diversity Award. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Aargauer Kunsthaus as an expert on inclusion, diversity and representation. As a fellow of the Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB) and Soho House Berlin, he developed „GAZE CONTEMPORARY“, a digital platform and gallery spotlighting emerging artists with a focus on queer and postmigrant perspectives.
He has given guest lectures at the UdK Berlin, the University of Basel, F+F Schule für Kunst und Design, Peter Behrens School of Arts Düsseldorf, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, FHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, and Humboldt University in Berlin. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as Museum für Gestaltung, Art Basel, Hi-Flow Geneva, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Kunsthaus Zürich, NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, Industria Kulturfestival, Folkwang Museum Essen, and photoMÜNCHEN.
© Jonathan Labusch