By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A socio-politico backed theme recently marked a performance by artist Amasa Abifao during the opening of an exhibition at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Accra.

With most parts of the world under lockdowns and diverse restrictions owing to the Covid 19 pandemic, the artist maneuvered through brightly coloured car tyres as he delivered messages relating to challenges associated with life.

Indeed, West Africa has been beset with economic and political upheavals alongside challenges to security and stability. In recent years, other stresses have been added to the list – these include youth exclusion, migration, rapid development of extractive industries and land management.

Undeniably, West Africa is making impressive progress in economic growth, democratization and regional cooperation. However, the recent rise in violence and conflict as well as drug trafficking, piracy, extremism and other emerging threats have sparked concerns over its future development.

Clad in a white costume with half of his face painted in strips and a rope hanging on his neck, Abifao climbed into a pack of tyres painted in red with his head popping as his audience gazed in readiness for a surprise.

Titled “Variations – Spectrum of Life”, the artist waded into the complexities of life as one develops from an infant, teenager and adulthood to an advanced age, which has been aggravated in recent years due a variety of challenges.

With most members of the audience in face masks owing to what is now referred to as the “new normal”, Abifao harped on the need climb out of the tyres, which symbolically represented enormous problems currently facing and drowning mankind. 

The performance forms part of “Variations” an ongoing exhibition organized by the Greater Accra branch of the Ghana Association of Visual Artists at the CNC in Accra. It ends on Tuesday October 28, 2021.

Pix – Nii Tackie Yarboi

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

An art performance by Martin Toloku, Lena Czerniawska and Emilio Gordoa recently turned the Ussher Fort Prison in Accra into an artistic den with a magnetic performance that effectively questioned the idea of time and space while highlighting political and environmental issues.

In a performative and installative work during the 2021 edition of Chale Wote Street Art Festival, which was virtual owing to restrictions relating to Covid 19, Toloku evoked memories of past events that showed discarded electronic machinery feeding into our human genetic system.

Clad in a surreal costume alongside a series of improvised dance and body movements, he questioned the decomposition of speed and lamented on the robotization of death while inferring that civilization is a deadly toy that brings excitement, change and demise.

Indeed, he bemoaned the presence of industrial and technological machinery in our everyday activities while an ambiance coordinated by Mexican musician Emilio Gordoa, guided the “decayed” robotic body of Toloku.

Through a series of improvised dance and body movements, he created an accident scene, whilst Polish artist Lena Czerniawska forcefully unwrapped an untold story through a series of drawings on a scrap automobile, which was commandeered into the prison. 

The apparent consequence of modernity is represented by a lonely garbage dump as well as a broken window, torn clothes, precipitously aged shoes, a crushed car and a broken phone, which are part of items mankind leaves behind thereby becoming part of a huge garbage dump.

Undeniably, it is evident that the ghosts of modernity wander through landfills, get entangled in cables and plastic bags among others, which signify the downfall of humanity while exposing greed and selfishness.

Chale Wote Street Art Festival is an alternative platform that brings art, music, dance and performance out of the galleries and onto the streets of James Town, a suburb of Accra. The 2021 edition was largely virtual and curtailed owing to Covid 19 limitations.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Large scale paintings by British artist Arthur Timothy that are inspired by rich archival material from his late father are on display at Gallery 1957 in Accra.

The archives, which are largely in black and white formats, depict close family members and nonfictional events in Ghana and Sierra Leone, which have been metamorphosed into swanky paintings that take viewers on a mute journey to the past and back.

Timothy created these works owing to a re-examination of post-colonial African dynamism that informed his early years in Ghana, where he was born to Ghanaian and Sierra Leonian parents.

Indeed, paintings on show are a direct consequence of Timothy’s works – which are multifaceted and intricate – while others are underlined by reminiscence and lost to the sands of time.

An architect by profession, the artist allows a great deal of light in his paintings thereby enabling them to sparkle. The paintings reveal leisure situations where people are relaxed and posed freely for photographs.

Titled “Grandma’s Hands”, he captures Ghanaian politicians of the period including Kojo Botsio, K. A. Gbedemah, A. Caseley-Hayford and T. Hutton-Mills in colourful Kente cloths alongside a British delegation from the House of Commons, who are garbed in top hats and tails.

Curated by Ekow Eshun, these paintings depict feelings, sentiments and a broad sense of attachment to family and the community at large, while evoking the essence of our humanity. 

Undeniably, the characters are intimate friends, acquaintances and public figures that helps in narrating part of the Ghanaian story in the 1960s and beyond, which characterized the early years of Ghana’s independence.

Timothy studied at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. His artworks have been exhibited at the Royal Academy, Ronchini Gallery and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery (all in the United Kingdom). He is part of important international collections including the permanent collection of ICA Miami (USA).

A writer and curator, Eshun is the Chairman of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group overseeing the most prestigious public art programme in the United Kingdom and a former Director of the ICA, London.

He is the author of “Africa State of Mind: Contemporary Photography Reimagines a Continent” (Thames & Hudson) and “Black Gold of the Sun” (Penguin), which was nominated for the Orwell prize.

The exhibition ends on Friday October 1, 2021.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

An exhibition of paintings, mosaics, ceramics, sculptures, pottery and woodworks by thirty-two artists ended on Sunday August 29 at the Grand Arena – Accra International Conference Centre.

The plush Grand Arena served as a space which provided a unique opportunity for the artists to share their artistic work with art lovers, collectors and the public at large while creating an enabling atmosphere for creative expression, discussion and socialization.

Artists, whose works were displayed include Dr. Asabea Asare, Betty Acquah, Wiz Kudowor, Sami Bentil, Larry Otoo, Nicholas Kowalski, Amarkine Amarteifio, Victoria Adoe, Seth Clottey, Gabriel Eklou, Kobina Nyarko, Martin Dartey and Koo Nyarkoh.

Others are Nana Yaa Omane Peprah, Moh Awudu, Matilda Ammisah, Nana Kwesi Agyare, Daniel Kukubor, Kweku Genfi, Daniel Botchway, Issah Mohammed, Bright Danso, Audrey Forson, Kojo Danku, Samuel Asamoah and Issaka Sulemama.

Dubbed “Sound Out”, this distinctive group show – which is the second edition – set out with the ambitious goal of acknowledging and celebrating home grown art in a bid to inspire artists in their creative journey as their aspire for excellence.

A visual language interpreted through symbols and body contours by Kudowor, blending of Ghanaian history with a call for world peace by Bentil, inspiring portraits by muralist Awudu and earth-coloured figures by Eklou are some of the works that illuminated the Grand Arena.

Others are portrayal of the struggles and ambitions of ordinary African women by Acquah, textural / expressive paintings by Kowalski, symbolism of fish on large-scale canvasses by Nyarko, pots embellished with adinkra symbols by Matilda Amissah and landscapes / beachscapes by Clottey.  

The exhibition’s purview expanded with a series of conversations and talks including one with the internationally acclaimed artist Ibrahim Mahama, Dr. Asabea Asare, CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority and USA based Ghanaian artist Sami Bentil.  

Opened by Nana Asante Bediatuo, Executive Secretary of the Office of the President, the exhibition was supported by Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ghana Tourism Authority and Ghana Eximbank.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Ras Minano, an Australia based Ghanaian drummer, percussionist, singer and songwriter has been creating waves with magnetic performances in the Australian city of Adelaide and its environs.

Since relocating to Australia in 2015, Minano has promoted Ghanaian musical culture on platforms in various parts of Australia. These include “Africa Unmasked Festival Adelaide”, “Fringe Festival Adelaide” and “Umbrella Winter City Sounds Music Festival Adelaide”.

Others are “A Wild Night in Australia”, “Prospect Spring Fair Adelaide”, “Australian Academy of Rock”, “Harmony Day Celebrations”, “Welcome to Australia Walk Together Rally” and “Africa Union Day” among others.

“Music benefits humankind physically, aesthetically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally” says Minano, who in 2020 received the USA WAM AWARD for song of the year in the World Music / Reggae category for his composition “Africa Oseeyeii”, which is from an album titled “Real Rasta”.

Acclaimed internationally as a Reggae, Afro-Reggae, Afrobeat, Afro Jazz and World Music artist, his rich, candid and earthy lyrics as well as uplifting rhythms have captivated audiences during festivals and gigs in Australia including a number of appearances at the Fringe Festival in 2015 and onwards.  

His group, known as “Hope of Africa” was the first African Band to contest in the “Battle of the Bands” competition that resulted in the group taking the second position at the event, which was organized by Sky City and hosted in the Oasis Bar at the Adelaide Casino in 2019.

“Hope of Africa Band” is noted for thought provoking lyrics, high energy drum beats and a mesmeric stage presence alongside popular Roots Reggae rhythms that always hypnotize and captivate diverse audiences.

“My band has been raising hope for mankind through music for many years and we continue to do so by bringing joy and smiles to people from all walks of life and cultures”, adds Minano, who performed with Ghanaian “Korogo” maestro King Ayisoba at the 2020 edition of WOMAD Adelaide Festival. 

Formed in 2006, the band has a vision of collective empowerment to raise consciousness and provide hope to humanity. “Hope of Africa Band” represents World Music, which comprise a mix of reggae, afro-reggae, funk and jazz. In 2021, he released an EP titled “Womba”, a compilation of three original tracks titled “Jealousy”, “Bully” and “Womba”. 

Since 2015, the band has been performing regularly at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and supported the “Playing for Change Day Concert” with a charming concert in 2017. After the 2018 Fringe Festival, the group launched its “Nkabom Tour”, which took them to several cities and towns in Australia.   

While in Ghana, he collaborated with other talented musicians including Adane Best, Amarh Pino & the Ozimzim Band, Classic Handles, Feeling Brothers, King David, Charles Robert Quaye, Samuel Antwi, Obose, Angel Lopa, Sammy Snuki, Asabre Quaye, Adwoa Okorie, Mr. Roy and Frank Kissi among others.

In 2007, Minano produced and recorded an album titled “Jah Spirit” at the Crack Studios in Ghana. A second album “Africa is Sick” was created and recorded in 2013 while the third, which is titled “Real Rasta” was released in Australia (2020) as part of celebrations earmarked for African Union Day.

Currently, “Hope of Africa Band” performs with a line-up of talented Adelaide based musicians – and has been keeping the music scene alive and diverse with their communicable rhythms while spreading the message of hope.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A documentary film that showcases the intricate funeral rites of the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II – Queen Mother of the Asante Kingdom – was recently screened to a private audience at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Directed by the renowned Ghanaian ethnomusicologist Prof. Kwasi Ampene, the fifty-minute documentary is a multifaceted and multi-directional documentary that re-counted the fusion of oral traditions, political authority and national unity.

Ampene, who is Professor at the Department of Africa American Studies, University of Michigan (USA), effectively captured a tradition that has been preserved in all forms and handed down to diverse generations while emphasizing its symbolism and splendor. 

Shot in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi (Ghana) during the funeral, “Gone to the Village” vividly reveals a rich and diverse tradition that has resisted and actively fought colonialists who waged several wars against it.

Interspersed with reverential poetry, the funeral rites – which are highly laden with philosophy – equally revealed the role of women in Asante culture through multiple curated activities that unfolded simultaneously.  

Undeniably, scenes of dancing, singing, drumming and free flowing proverbs amidst firing of musketry formed part of an elaborate tradition that has been well preserved and maintained through verbal and written forms of communication.

Gigantic umbrellas, traditional battle regalia, musketeers, palanquins, traditional staffs, delicate haircuts, mourning cloths, stools (including the golden one), traditional priests and executioners among others highlighted the symbolism in Asante culture during the ceremony that traversed a couple of days.

Ampene specializes in the rich musical traditions of the Akan people of West Africa. His research interests include the performing arts as individually and collectively created and experienced, the performance of historical and social memory, politics, ideologies, values and the religious philosophy in Akan court music.

He has disseminated his research in conferences, workshops and speaking engagements at major universities in the United States and several countries. He has also provided expert advice for public engagement projects on West African culture and music to institutions such as the British Library, Tufts University and Princeton University (USA).

Gone to the Village was funded by the University of Michigan – Office of Research (UMOR) / LSA Scholarship/Research Fund (LSA) / African Studies Center (ASC) / The Michigan Musical Heritage Project (MMHP) / Department of Afro American Studies.

Others are African Studies (DAAS) Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) / The African Humanities and Heritage Initiative (AHHI at the ASC) / Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG).

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the screening in Accra.

Pix – Nana Yaw

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Kenyan artist Kaloki Nyamai does not cease to engage viewers of his work with a convolution of interpretation, which he achieves through vibrant and subdued large-scale compositions.

Connecting between figuration and abstraction, his paintings that are currently on display at Gallery 1957 in Accra, show him as a consummate specialist, whose densely layered paintings challenge viewers to question issues on the global scene.

Employing rough backgrounds, his figures – which are clothed mostly in blue and whites – showcase a meeting of opinions, exchange of philosophies and a celebration of success notwithstanding the fact that they belong to different countries and cultures.

Charred and stitched canvasses with traumatized surfaces contain nude and fluid figures that enforce partial connotations, suggestions, references, beliefs, dreams and desires that appear to be intangible on the surface.

Undeniably, his expressionistic brushwork and dramatic colour schemes is a huge signal for action, which he expresses through two male figures in one of the works that connote a meeting of intellectuals.

Heavy metaphors and symbolism enable the viewer to stretch his / her imaginations in a situation where everything and everyone appear vague, ambiguous and uncertain while simulating complex interactions and social processes.  

Originally trained in interior design and film, Nyamai launched his artistic career by creating figurative works that engaged with the realities of the informal settlement of his childhood in Kenya.

He has since evolved his practice into an investigation of personal identity and its connection to a wider collective history – this is evident in an on-going preoccupation with the hidden unrecorded narratives of his community and fragmented memories.

He has had solo and group exhibitions – these include Nairobi (Kenya), Cape Town South Africa), London (UK), Dubai (UAE) and Hamburg (Germany). His work was featured in the Kampala Biennial (2018) and is included in private collections across the globe.

The exhibition ends on Tuesday August 24, 2021.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Large scale paintings by Joshua Oheneba-Takyi that tend to interrelate, interdepend and intermingle with chairs are on display at Gallery 1957 in Accra. 

Interspersed with tenderly sanitized human figures that have been portrayed in a variety of postures – the chairs are created through a cool combination of geometrics and intersecting lines – thereby endowing them with personality.  

Designed to represent the concept of dynamism, these ever-present chairs are contrasted with the fluidity of the human form thus emphasizing the latter while allowing the viewer to fully embrace each individual’s unique character. 

His female figures are replete with fashionable clothes topped with high heeled footwear while the males are largely in traditional wear. Another trait is the partial blocking of faces of some of his subjects, who tend to be either in motion or a static pose.

With backgrounds characterized by broad brush strokes in diverse colours, his paintings have in recent years increasingly drawn attention from local and international stakeholders resulting in a number of shows.

Undeniably, his artworks intimately document and examine the themes of placement and displacement while often employing the chair as a metaphor for notions of stability and belonging.

Oheneba-Takyi demonstrated an affinity for art at an early age as a coping mechanism for his dyslexia. Moving away from these difficulties, he pursued a degree in Construction Technology and Management at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi) in 2020.

He has exhibited his works at the Jubilee Mall (Kumasi) and has taken part in several group exhibitions at Antique Lemonade Gallery and Secret Garden – all in Accra. His collectors include the acclaimed Ghanaian / British architect Sir David Adjaye.

Titled “A Seat at the Table”, the exhibition ends on Tuesday August 10, 2021.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Works by the late pioneering artist Kofi Antubam, which forms part of the MFA research work by Elizabeth Asafo-Adjei, are currently on show at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra.

Remembered for his realistic and narrative scenes of idealized African life, which he depicted in wall paintings, sculptures and mosaics, his pieces on display equally reveal him as a masterful technician, who vividly promoted community life in Ghana.

Curated by Asafo-Adjei, the exhibition is showcasing a limited number of his iconic paintings, wooden panels / doors, sculptures and for the first-time rare stamps, photographs and video clips, which represent part of his rich inventory.   

Titled “Unsettling the Dust”, the works were drawn from the collections of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, George Padmore / Balme Libraries and public spaces like the Ghana National Children’s Library and Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s Maintenance Office (Former Accra Community Centre) among others.  

Antobam’s works include wooden reliefs on the façade of the old parliament building in Accra (1950), murals on the United Nations building in Geneva (Switzerland 1950s) and a series of woodcuts titled “The Life and Customs of the African People” (1959 – 61).

He also developed various works of art and crafts including Nkrumah’s presidential mace and chair as well as various state commissioned relief mural carvings while pioneering the use of adinkra symbols in Ghanaian art.

Following Ghana’s independence in 1957, Antubam was appointed an official state artist, which was a predictable act due to his belief that artists should contribute to national pride and development by representing their country’s unique past and rich culture.

Kofi Antubam received his art education at Achimota School (Ghana) and Goldsmiths College (United Kingdom) and has exhibited his work both in Ghana and internationally. These include London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), Rome (Italy), Düsseldorf (Germany) and New York (United Sates of America).

The exhibition, which was supported by the Museum of Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, blaxTARLINES and the Goethe-Institut in Accra, ends on Friday July 30, 2021.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A cooperative market that aims at providing local entrepreneurs with a curated space that offer fair vendor conditions opened last week at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Retailers were carefully selected to ensure diversity of products while preventing internal competition, guaranteeing easy navigation by customers and making available a wide variety of products and services.

With an eclectic fusion of products that ranged from locally produced crafts, clothes, cosmetics, beverages, foodstuff and old books, the organizers limited the number of vendors to ensure adequate space for traders and customers while enforcing Covid 19 protocols.

“It is a varied collection of products, books and a wonderful selection of local food and snacks – indeed, very few patrons will go away empty handed from this lively, fun and tempting collection of goodies”, said Maaike Bleeker, a teacher from The Netherlands.

“The cooperative market, which will be periodic, equally aims at creating an effective waste management strategy by ensuring the use of plastics that can be recycled in Ghana while educating members on the need to protect the environment at all times”, added Sarah Kunkel, one of the organizers.

Items that were on sale include jewelry, bags sewn from local fabrics, prêt-à-porter clothes, collectibles, healthy fruit drinks, food from organic vegetables, local coffee, cakes, almond drinks, sculptures, mushroom khebabs, salads, bio-degradable food containers, straws and cups.

With stalls laid out in an orderly grid, patrons enjoyed the rather cool atmosphere and friendly nature of the premises of the Institut, which is noted for its lush gardens and serene ambiance.

Tagay, a group of musicians comprising Filipinos living in Accra entertained the vendors and patrons with cool music while Ghanaian drummer / choreographer Frank Sam engaged kids with basic drumming lessons.

Watch out for the next Coop Market at the Goethe-Institut.