Ghana celebrate its pioneer artists
Gilbert Boyefio
Artists Alliance Gallery under the auspices of the Ford Foundation on March 26 opened the first pioneers of contemporary Ghanaian art exhibition in Accra.
The two weeks exhibition focuses on contemporary Ghanaian art, but in particular on the pioneers who took up the challenge, looking at art from contemporary perspective as against the traditional perspective.
The trail blazers whose works have been selected for the exhibition include Kofi Antuban, Prof E V Asihene, Dr Oku Ampofo, Vincent Kofi, A O Bartemeus, Saka Acquaye, Dr Kobina Bucknor and Amon Kotei (the only one alive). The exhibition is also a tribute to the courage of these giants who initiated dramatic changes in the art of contemporary Ghana.
According to Prof Kojo Fosu, the exhibition cataloguer, “This art no longer followed the formalized conventions of the indigenous art, as it was rather expressed freely in unique individual styles.” He indicated that the changes in this new direction began to manifest its general impact in contemporary Ghanaian society by the 1950’s. This was also the period of time in the history of Ghana when spirit of nationalism gripped the nation. It also inspired artistic development that romanticized folk culture, glamorized indigenous customary practices and heralded the dawn of the new political age in Ghana.
He said the art works produced by the practicing pioneer artists were henceforth expressed in modern academic realism, although certain expressive aspects of them continued to demonstrate influences from indigenous Ghanaian aesthetic traditions.
Gilbert Boyefio
Artists Alliance Gallery under the auspices of the Ford Foundation on March 26 opened the first pioneers of contemporary Ghanaian art exhibition in Accra.
The two weeks exhibition focuses on contemporary Ghanaian art, but in particular on the pioneers who took up the challenge, looking at art from contemporary perspective as against the traditional perspective.
The trail blazers whose works have been selected for the exhibition include Kofi Antuban, Prof E V Asihene, Dr Oku Ampofo, Vincent Kofi, A O Bartemeus, Saka Acquaye, Dr Kobina Bucknor and Amon Kotei (the only one alive). The exhibition is also a tribute to the courage of these giants who initiated dramatic changes in the art of contemporary Ghana.
According to Prof Kojo Fosu, the exhibition cataloguer, “This art no longer followed the formalized conventions of the indigenous art, as it was rather expressed freely in unique individual styles.” He indicated that the changes in this new direction began to manifest its general impact in contemporary Ghanaian society by the 1950’s. This was also the period of time in the history of Ghana when spirit of nationalism gripped the nation. It also inspired artistic development that romanticized folk culture, glamorized indigenous customary practices and heralded the dawn of the new political age in Ghana.
He said the art works produced by the practicing pioneer artists were henceforth expressed in modern academic realism, although certain expressive aspects of them continued to demonstrate influences from indigenous Ghanaian aesthetic traditions.
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