SCULPTURE IN GHANA
I fell in love this weekend. I fell in love with art of a different kind. I was charmed by confidence and passion in an understated manner that made me sit back and smile. This different kind of art, is sculpture.
Sculpture is a functional art. It is the branch of the art that operates in three dimensions. Material such as stone, clay, metal, wood and ceramics are used to make sculptures. The first forms of sculpture works in Ghana were however mainly wood carvings.
In Ghana, sculpture has been central in our culture, our religious devotion and even in our recreation and entertainment. The beginning of sculpture in Ghana can be traced back to the seventeenth century. History has it that, some people were sent from Ghana to Nigeria to be trained by an old sculpture.Sculpture works have been a part of Ghanaian culture for as long as can be remembered. Artifacts such as stools, masks, dolls, among many others have been used over the years.
Some prominent Ghanaian sculptors are Constance Swaniker, Paa Joe, Eric Adjetey Annan, Kofi Antubam and El Anatsui. Kofi Antubam is perhaps the most prominent of sculptors who works with diverse materials He designed the state seat and the mace of parliament. Constance Swaniker is also one of the few prominent female sculptors who has made a name by carving scrap metal into fine art pieces. Paa's works are embedded in the Ghanaian tradition to honour the dead and El Anastui works with bottle tops, usually metal, which are beat and flattened then joined together to form big sheets of "metal cloth".
Sculpture in Ghana has come a long way as an artform and as a profession. From social, to cultural, to religious and even political lives of Ghanaians, sculpture has and continues to play alot of roles. Gradually, many more Ghanaians will come to understand and appreciate sculpture.
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