The origins of Ghanaian culture
Archaeological excavations have revealed clay pottery fragments dating back 3000 years. Traditionally used by women in Ghana, ceramics take the form of bowls, oil lamps and various containers, as seen at the National Museum in Accra.
From the 13th century onwards, the Ashanti civilization developed in Ghana and became the first community of the Akan peoples. Ashanti traditions, including those of the Akan sub-group, left their mark on Ghanaian arts and crafts.
In the 18th century, Adinkra symbols appeared, probably created by an Akan people. They first adorned pottery, objects and royal garments. Decorative, these signs conveyed a message related to all aspects of life. Nowadays, they are reproduced on fabric using stamps. The most common, the Gye Name, expresses the supremacy of God. This repertoire continues to inspire contemporary artists to the point of constituting the national visual language.
The Ashanti woman occupies a central position and, as such, takes the decisions within the group. This is why the female figure is omnipresent in sculpture. Carved wooden dolls are slipped under loincloths to accompany maternity. Later, these amulets served as toys for the child. These stylized statuettes, with their pure, elegant lines, appeal to art lovers.
Goldsmithing in these gold-rich lands reached a rare perfection. Akan gold weights are adorned with geometric motifs that are found on all gold-measuring accessories. Kuduo are copper vessels in which Akans place offerings to deities and ancestors. The forowa is a vessel for domestic or religious use. It differs from the forowa in the absence of figurines such as the porcupine, an Ashanti symbol. Akan royal insignia include the chief's staff, pendants, straps to hold sandals on the foot, rectangles linked together to form a crown, and the handles of royal swords.
Modern painting
Painting is important in Ghana. Artists are exhibited in the halls of major hotels, in middle-class homes and, increasingly, in the galleries that are opening up in the Accra region.
The taste for painting can be seen on the colorful boats of fishermen, tro-tro and mammy trucks, hairdressers' signs and mud houses in the north of the country. While Ashanti buildings are ochre, villages in the north are distinguished by frescoes with geometric designs in shades of brown, yellow and brown covering the interior walls.
Since the second half of the 20th century, talented painters have been making their mark in Africa and around the world. Ablade Glover, born in Accra in 1934, is considered the father of contemporary Ghanaian painting. His meticulous style and vivid colors are easily recognizable. After graduating from the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, from which many of Ghana's finest talents emerged, he continued his training in London and Ohio. On his return to Ghana, he became Director of Fine Arts in Kumasi. His work has entered the collections of major institutions, including the Ashanti Goldfields Company and the Arts Council of Ghana in Accra.
Ablade Glover has been at the helm of theArtist Alliance Gallery for some thirty years, helping to raise the profile of Ghanaian artists. A veritable cultural springboard, the gallery is a Ghanaian institution. In 1969, the first art gallery in Ghana was opened by Frances Ademola. Now over 90, Frances continues to exhibit young artists at The Loom, not far from Circle.
El Anatsui and contemporary sculpture
Born in 1944 in Anyako, El Anatsui graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1969. Primarily a sculptor, the figurehead of contemporary sculpture now lives in Nigeria. In his youth, he joined the Nsukka artists' group, linked to Nsukka University in Nigeria, where he was promoted to teacher. It was from here that his career took off to achieve international renown.
In the 1980s, the artist expressed his talent in painting. His abstract forms and colors were seductive. In 1990, he took part in the Venice Biennale for the first time, returning in 2006 and 2007. Invited to the Rio Summit in 1992, he created the sculpture Erosion during the three-week conference on the environment, using a tree trunk covered with Adinkra symbols. Both decorative and message-bearing, these signs evoke concepts that he universalizes. El Anatsui subsequently exhibited all over the world. Represented in the collections of MoMA in New York, the British Museum in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, his work was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2015 Venice Biennale.
El Anatsui uses recycled materials such as corks, cassava graters and printing plates, which he transforms. This doesn't mean his work is ecological. For him, these materials offer unique creative possibilities. His immense metaphorical sculptures, including his large, finely assembled hangings, are the best-known examples. His installations are meticulously constructed, like the thousands of crumpled metal capsules bound together with copper wire. El Anatsui took an early interest in ceramics, assembling fragments for their figurative, fragile and resilient qualities. He offers a remarkable interpretation of wood, with a freedom that will set the standard. He plans to set up a workshop in Ghana.
The next generation of artists
The opening continues with Wiz Kudowor, born in Accra in 1957. His work, which draws extensively on mythology and ancestral signs, is just as popular in Asia as it is in the United States. Remaining one of Ghana's favorite artists, he receives public commissions from his country, including the fresco in the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, in tribute to the nation's great leaders. His art is considered a reflection of African identity.
Born in 1956 in Sékondi, Ghana, Owusu-Ankomah also uses Adinkra symbols, but to address themes of identity and the body in painting. At the age of 23, the artist embarked on a series of trips to Europe, choosing to settle in Germany. His influences encompass Renaissance art, ancestral cultures, Chinese ideograms and the traditions of the African continent. He takes on both philosophies and aesthetic characteristics. His fascinating, richly detailed work demands the viewer's attention.
Glen Turner's reputation has also spread beyond our borders. Among the best-known artists, Larry Otoo has had numerous exhibitions abroad; Daniel Mensah, known as Tarrot, is a talented young artist with a macabre sense of humor. Victor Butler and Ato Delquis are also popular with collectors.
The sculptor Kofi Setordji (b. 1957), known for his denunciation of the Rwandan genocide, achieved success in the 1990s. Voted Sculptor of the Year, Kofi Setordji works in wood, metal, bronze, stone and terracotta. In his hometown, his work can be seen at the Artists Alliance Gallery.
Contemporary scene
Whether in Ghana or abroad, contemporary Ghanaian art is on a roll. Despite a cruel lack of infrastructure, a few art galleries are opening their doors in Accra.
But artists and gallery owners alike are calling on the Ghanaian government to inject funds to support creation. Many talented artists, such as Serge Attukwei Clottey, whose installations have been exhibited at Coachella, and Amoako Boafo, have chosen to pursue their careers abroad. Born in 1984 in Accra, and influenced by the works of Austrian artist Egon Schiele, Amoako Boafo moved to Vienna, where in record time he became the second most highly-rated African artist in the world.
In the street, the tradition of mural painting, which dates back to primitive peoples, continues. Popular again during the Second World War, public art enabled soldiers to leave their mark, a trace of their passage for all to see.
Since 2011, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival has brought together visual arts, music, dance and performance in the streets of Jamestown in Accra. Chale Wote is all about international exchange and collective creation. Through the Ghana Association of Visual Arts, the government encourages street art to beautify the streets. GAVA is particularly keen on themes revolving around Ghanaian identity. The artist Moh, whose real name is Mohammed Awudu, combines painting and drawing in his gigantic works. Involved in social and humanitarian causes, Moh creates a bridge between Ghana's traditions and its future on the international scene.
Where can you discover the artists of tomorrow in Accra? Head for Gallery 1957. Launched by Marwan Zakhem in 2016, the gallery now designates three distinct spaces. With a residency program and a presence at the main professional art fairs, it resolutely opens up the current scene to an international audience.
Amba Gallery, opened by Ghanaian businessman Amadu Baba, has created a creative and teaching space to better serve African art and its public.
On Onion Avenue, Gallery Soview provides a platform for emerging talent. The artists featured here are chosen for their innovative spirit and imaginative use of recycled materials. A place to explore Africa's past, present and future, between realism and optimism!
