Indigenous Ghanaian Artworks

Indigenous Ghanaian Artworks: Arts crafted to mirror cultural beliefs and are integral to daily existence.
Values include honesty, respect, honor, hospitality, and hard work.
Arts capture social ideals and shape life perspectives across generations.

Visual Arts: Wood carving, metalsmithing, pottery, calabash and gourd work, beadwork, blacksmithing, sculpture, architecture, body arts, and painting.
Performing Arts: Music, dance, drama, and verbal art.
Performances often artistic expressions, e.g., libations during ceremonies involving titles, wise sayings, and poetic phrases.

Evidence traced to migration from former Ghana Empire in Sudan and ancestry with Kushite Empire and ancient Egyptian civilizations.
Ancient civilizations explored fibres, gold, pigments, stone carvings.
Archaeological discoveries at Kintampo reveal carved pieces dating back between 5000 and 500 BC.

Tradition and European influence interplay.
Traditional art thrived early, but patronage shifted to European-desired items.
Western education led to Achimota School (1927), encouraging indigenous and European artistic techniques.
Artists like Kofi Antubam and Ernest Victor Asihene incorporated European styles with traditional Ghanaian art.

Self-expression and renewed focus on national identity.
Themes of independence, pan-Africanism, and social commentary.
1960s: "Osagyefo" style embraced bold colors, symbolic imagery, and murals.
El Anatsui (recycled materials) and Felicia Abban (social issues) pushed boundaries.

Explores themes of identity, history, and social justice with a global perspective.
Experimentation with new materials, e.g., Ibrahim Mahama using found objects.
Technology integration, e.g., Selly Raby Kane using digital tools.
El Anatsui brought Ghanaian art to the global art world.

Use of digital technology, found objects, and everyday materials.
Sculptures from jute sacks, paintings with plastic waste, and textiles with wax prints.

Form, size, shape, line, color, texture, tonal values, perspective, design composition, and surface quality.
Indigenous works have unique characteristics.

Sankofa Ashanti Gold Weight: Means it is \[not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten\]$. Made of gold, brass, or bronze. Hand crafted using the lost-wax casting method. Used to weigh gold dust and communication.
Ashanti Stools: Represent social status, governance, and tradition. Made of hardwoods like mahogany, rosewood, or ebony and handcrafted by artisans. Symbolize social status, power, and authority.
Sirigu Wall Paintings: Vibrant murals using natural pigments from plants and minerals. Made using ‘griot painting’ technique. Beautify homes, preserve and celebrate local culture.

Historical context: Reflects historical events and generational stories.
Cultural context: Traditional clothing, hairstyles, body adornment, masks, sculptures, and pottery hold symbolic meaning.
Social context: Depicts scenes from everyday life, social structures, and community values.
Political context: Displays power, wealth, and lineage.
Philosophical context: Expresses spiritual beliefs, concept of time and space, and relationship with nature.
Symbolism context: Uses geometric shapes and stylized figures.

Educational and Cultural Preservation: e.g., linguist staff educates individuals or elders.
Promotes Tourism: e.g., Sirigu wall paintings and Nzulezu.
Expresses Personal and Collective Experiences: e.g., body paintings during festivals.
Highlighting History and Beliefs: e.g., shrines with assembled pots and Posuban shrines.
Enshrine Societal Norms: Hospitality.
Foster Creativity and Critical Thinking: Innovation in making artworks.

El Anatsui, Ibrahim Mahama, Ato Delaquis, and Ablade Glover draw inspiration from indigenous roots.

Akans, Ewes, Dagombas, and Gas contribute diverse art forms.
Akan, Northern Tribes, and Ewe: Gold jewelry, traditional symbols, and handwoven cloth.
Ewe and Akan: Master carvers of wooden dolls.
Dagomba: Leatherworking and drum-making.
Ga people: Ga fantasy coffins.

Asante Architecture – Kumasi: Traditional earth, wood, and straw. Carved walls in black, red, and gold.
Dagomba Architecture – Tamale: Mud bricks and straw round structures. Geometrical patterns.- Nzulezu – Stilt Village Architecture: Build on stilts from raffia palm.
Larabanga Mosque: Of mud mixed with dried reeds.