OSA
“Growing up like this as a child I faced a lot of discrimination because I had one eye but I believe God has given my one eye the strength of two, to enable me to create the works I do.”
I am the only person in my family who does art and my family has always been supportive with my love for art. I initially wanted to be an architect. When I was younger there was a melease outbreak which affected my eye, following this the doctors had to remove one of my eyes. I was so young, I have always known myself to have one eye, I don’t know any different. Growing up like this as a child I faced a lot of discrimination because I had one eye but I believe God has given my one eye the strength of two, to enable me to create the works I do.
One day a health worker came to visit to monitor how my eye was coming along, the health visitor. While discussing my struggle with the technical side to architecture they supported me to understand how I could explore more of the visual side of design.
So I studied visual arts at high school, this is where my real journey with art began. After I finished school I was passionate to continue learning more, this is when I met Ako Sowah. I saw the work he was doing and I was inspired so I studied under Ako Sowah for many years. I spent time just watching him paint all day and asking questions, I like asking questions. I would go home and spend my evenings trying to implement what I learnt watching during the day. Following school I majored in painting and I did the 3 years diploma course at the College of Art and Design. During this period Ako still continued to teach me and help me find myself as an artist.
My style of painting is semi abstract imaginative composition. Through my work I touch on social cultural practices of native Ghanians, the indigenous people. Through my recent works you see the social cultural activities of our native people, for example going to fetch water, pounding food, coming to or from the market or farm with the produce in a basket. It looks to show how life was before the colonisation of Ghana
There is a great joy I feel when I paint which can’t be described, especially when I achieve something meaningful. I believe in finding fulfillment in the work I produce, it’s not about how fast or how much i can produce it’s about creating something to be happy about. This way of thinking hasn’t always worked in my favor in the past as people have often wanted me to produce work fast, but I don't focus on that. If I did I wouldn’t be creating the works I do today.
Alongside painting I also have a job as a payments collector and I have started practicing graphic design. Looking back I would haven’t changed the path I chose because I am glad I am where I am today.