Growing up

It has been rough growing as an artist in my society where people do not value the work of art and this hits even harder when everything they tell you is to give up on your passion of being an artist. One major hurdle to my work of art is the comments I get from people who think it’s absolutely not right to defend the subjects of my paintings as they’re not commended in the Ghanaian culture. But I want to reach people who are criticized for trying to be who they are in the world of fashion and creativity including individuals who express their work of art on their bodies. I want to let them know that they don’t need to present themselves as expected by society in order to be accepted. The pieces I create is a way to express how I feel, they are and arise from my perspective.

The beauty I see in the subjects of my paintings is what encourages me to keep my head up.

Artists who have inspired me

A couple of artists have inspired me in my art life but the ones I derive my inspiration from the most is artist Cornelius Annor who made it crystal clear that, “It’s determination that takes one to the top” and that has been with me since I graduated as an artist. Also, Yaw Obuobi, a yarn artist, has also been an inspiration to me throughout my art career. He has the notion that, “The work of art is an effective recording instrument to combat the threat of human forgetfulness” for which I wholeheartedly second his thought. Currently, I’m always in touch with my peer artists whom I graduated with from Ghanatta (college of Arts and Design) with, Daniel Tetteh Nartey, and Nana Adjoa Fremah. Our regular conversations have aided us in being who we are and acquiring the skill we have today. My practice has been consistent for 5 years but the series I’m working on currently is what you’ll see on my page. In the previous years my paintings were semi abstract and I have been in a group show and exhibited with a couple of artists.

My hopes for the future

It is my hope to be recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time, to be consistent in the art industry, exhibit in great galleries and stand as tall as I can for other emerging artists to look up to.

Get in touch: @iambenjamin.7

Dear reader,
thank you so much for reading until the end.
If you liked what you read, sign up to our e-mail list.
We’ll update you monthly about new interviews, exhibitions & opportunities.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Nina