Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana (FCA) has put together a programme dubbed Meet the Artist aimed at ensuring that Ghanaian artists – sculptors, painters, metal work artists, photographers, etc., get a platform to showcase their works.
The organizers say the programme is an initiative to break the relative isolation in which artists work as well as create a forum to exchange and sharing of ideas and expertise among both established, emerging artists.
Another objective of the programme is to give opportunity to visiting artists to talk about their art works and also share their experiences with the resident artists to enhance their work.
Those who featured at the second education of Meet the Artist at the Goethe Institute, the host of the programme, were two young promising artists, Agyenim Boateng and Kwabena Danso.
Presenting his art works, Agyenim Boateng, a former student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was grateful to the foundation for giving him the opportunity to exhibit his art works at the Goethe- Institute.
Mr. Agyenim Boateng recalled that, back in the university he wanted to do Fine Art, but chose Integrated Rural Arts and Industry with specialization in wood carving, metal fabrication and industrial design, because he has this big dream of lifting rural art and agricultural industry to a whole new level in future.
The wood carver noted that, artists contribute to the progress of society; unfortunately they are not accorded with respect as they should get. He thus appealed to the government to come to their aid, so as to make the industry more attractive to the youth. He further called on his fellow artists to themselves have enough respect for the profession and be truthful, so as to attain the necessary attention they deserve.
Kwabena Danso is the second artist who featured at the Meet the Artist. Kwabena Danso popularly known as JaHWi, disclosed that, he has had the opportunity of performing on international stages where he has put on shows, some of his art works, those of life captured through the lens and also impressed on paper with ink.
He has also created identities for companies and decorated a lot of walls of Accra with graffiti. With such a load of credit, JaHWi can best be described as an artist with no boundaries.
Born to a Ghanaian father and a Russian mother, JaHWi says he gets his inspiration from women, and best expresses himself through photography, video, graphics, creative writing and fine art.
“You can easily see my philosophy in life visualized as a physical manifestation of spiritual journeys and lesions,” JaHWi noted. JaHWi is also into music and has a single release to his credit.
The CEO of FCA, Adwoa Amoah, explained that the main aim of the Meet the Artist programme is to offer both, young and old, established, emerging artist and art lovers an appropriate venue to dialogue.
“We have other interesting programmes that we will be rolling out in October,” she disclosed.
Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana was formed five years ago to promote and develop contemporary art in the country. It enjoys funding from the European Union and has members of over 100.
BY ESI COBBINAH