By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Communicative paintings by the Osaka Triennial award winning artist Wiz Kudowor that span a period of forty years are currently on display in three galleries in Accra.

Titled “Retrospective” – the exhibitions, which are being held at the ANO, Berg and Artist Alliance Galleries – effectively trace the chronological trajectory, imaginative vocabularies and vigorous artistic language of Koduwor.

Curated by Sela Kodjo Adjei, Kudowor’s work at the Artists Alliance Gallery simultaneously draw on diverse energies and manages to push them beyond fixed spaces and characteristics in his quest to explore and interpret hidden truths.

Easily one of Ghana’s best respected and acclaimed modernist painters, his paintings are influenced by rich African symbolism, out of which he creates impenetrable messages that are characterized by stimulating titles and designations.

Employing pastels, acrylics, charcoal, inks, collages and watercolors, his bold figures tend to highlight body contours, faces, scenes and shapes that equally rejuvenate and conjure Ghanaian traditional themes while exploring geometric and revolutionary styles.

Emotions and facial expressions are deeply embedded in works on display at the Berg Gallery, which illustrate his mid-career period. Abstract masks, motherhood and feminine essence among others are quite pronounced in these small-scale paintings.

His works at the ANO Gallery from his early days as an artist reveal varied details of faces and their vocabularies in his dancing and romantic figures, market women and beer downing gatherings that largely portray practices in the local Ghanaian art scene in the 1970s.

Educated at the College of Art and Sculpture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi), Kudowor has exhibited widely across Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States of America.

His works can be found in a number of international collections including the Ministry of Culture (People’s Republic of China), African American Museum (Texas, USA), Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (Accra, Ghana) and the Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Collection (Osaka, Japan).

A multidisciplinary artist / academic, Adjei graduated with an MPhil in African Art and Culture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi). He has curated a number of exhibitions including the famous Chale Wote Street Art Festival.

The exhibitions end on Wednesday April 18.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The walls of Gallery 1957 provide an imperturbable sense of belonging – indeed the burgundy coloured walls offer a true feeling of intimacy that border on a boudoir – as one gets encircled with artworks by the Haitian American artist Florine Demosthene.

Located within the premises of the elegant Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the atmosphere is one of both familiarity and interference as one moves from one artwork to the other, some of which are decorated with elaborate frames.

A close scan of the walls show Demosthene as a masterful technician – who employs a penetrating fusion of figurative and abstract forms to examine diverse issues that confront the contemporary world – while engaging her own profile as a reference point.

Titled, “The Stories I Tell Myself”, the mixed media works are conceptual and does not illuminate one meticulous notion, event or history. “For me, my art has been a passing away of layers of preconceived ideas; much in the way as a snake sheds its skin. This slow shedding process can be viewed as a continual rebirth of our identity”, she explains.

Indeed, it is an unrestricted body of work that actually enjoins the viewer to conceive and communicate his or her own ideas. Consequently – the works, some of which are uncanny – attract a flurry of concepts including femininity, race, sensuality, heroines and gender issues.

With images that seem to be hovering in the universe, she effectively re-appraises socio-political constructions and circumstances that currently encircle female sexuality and physicality as her delicate figures tend to initiate a kind of dialogue around female bodies.

Demosthene earned a BFA the Parsons New School for Design and an MFA from Hunter College (both in the United States). She has shown her work extensively in group and solo exhibitions in the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Germany, the United States and several parts of Africa.

She was a recipient of a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in 2011 and was featured in the premiere issue of “Arc”, a magazine that is dedicated to highlighting emerging and established Caribbean artists.

The artist is also a 2012 Keyholder resident at the Lower East Side Printshop in New York (USA), a Guest Artist for the 2014 Dakar Art Biennale and a participant in the first Kampala Art Biennale in Uganda.

The exhibition ends on Sunday May 6.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

It was a cool evening at the Salle Kodjo Ebouclé, one of the theatres located within the premises of the Palais de la Culture – a giant edifice that overlooks the scenic Lagoon Ebrie in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire).

There is an eerie silence and the audience remain attentive as they await Judith Olivia Manantenasoa – a courageous Malagasy dancer / choreographer – who as widely expected sends the audience on an unforgettable journey.

Clad in a mainly white flowing gown with a spotlight in tow, Manantenasoa lunges into “Metamorphoses”, a solo piece she choreographed that show her as a creator / interpreter. She remains motionless for minutes and evokes an imagery of diverse organisms while bending into controllable movements.

In the process she takes off her top, exposing her breasts as she begins a process of transfiguration. Employing movements and gestures that are technically proficient alongside pensive phrasing, she looses her individuality while assuming the character of an object.

She eventually moves closer to lines of twines tired on stage with colorful pegs hanging loosely on them. Further complex movements lead to a nude show as extremely dim lights overshadow the stage. In the process, she fully becomes and embodiment of the word “metamorphoses”.

“Manantenasoa is an extremely audacious artist – she expresses herself in a manner she deems fit – and her message gets across with amazing ease”, says Marie Hervè, a visual artist / poet from Cotonou, Benin.

In yet another compelling solo performance titled “Energy”, Cameroonian dancer / choreographer Agathe Tamo Djokam moves with calculated steps and facial motions as she works her way through what appears to be dense air.

With a metal ladder on her shoulders that signify a satirical symbol of flight or ascent – she climbs, crashes, pulls and carries the ladder while collapsing again and again on the stage – a move that denotes difficulty in her quest for flight.

Through static animation, she seems to be fighting within herself for some form of control – undeniably for energy to assert herself as an artist – but the ladder proves to be extremely heavy. Nevertheless, the quest for her right to choose still persists.

“A self-motivated artist with a mission – Djokam is full of concepts and beliefs that can be effectively and successfully transferred onto the stage. This is surely a teaser”, added Yao Kouame, a dancer in Abidjan.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world performed during the festival, which ended on Saturday March 17.

By John Owoo

(Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Ghanaian reggae star / radio presenter Blakk Rasta last Thursday became a beaming light of joy and humor to everyone – indeed a ringleader of escapism as he interspersed his performance with anecdotes.

Performing at the French Institute in Abidjan as part of Market for Abidjan Performing Arts (MASA) 2018, he enthralled the audience with a dramatic fusion of reggae and traditional Ghanaian rhythms as he moved in a zigzag formation amidst cheers from the audience.

Rasta, who rarely stays still during his boisterous performances, captured the attention of the crowd when he introduced and performed a famous tune he composed in honor of former US president Barack Obama.

“It is an amazing presentation of yet another synthesis of reggae through a fascinating blend with African musical resources – it simply shows the power and capacity of African rhythms”, added Assan Diarra, a writer from Bamako, Mali.

In another concert at the same venue, dynamic Ghanaian singer / guitarist Fatau Keita delighted music fans with a lucid stream of diverse rhythms, beats and songs that flowed with amazing ease from a fully equipped stage.

With sounds that streamed through the theatre like a bird in flight, Keita astonished the audience with a precise and definite rhythm that moved from piece to piece thereby creating an emotional intensity that gripped the entire concert hall.

Clad in a rather funky costume, the young singer and his Nawuni Bie Band turned the auditorium into an African groove with a cogent repertoire while gradually seeping into robust tunes as the night progressed.

“It’s amazing to see a band with such an amalgam of refreshing rhythms and close harmonies that tend to celebrate African creativity and excellence”, said Mali Seck, a music student in Dakar, Senegal.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world performed during the festival, which ends today Saturday March 17.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Ashakata Dance Group from Benin on Monday took the Salle Kojdo Ebouclé at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan by storm with a performance that showcased a dramatic blend ancestral dance forms with contemporary movements.

Titled “Les Intrepids”, the neo traditional piece embraced sacred ancestral movements, which the dancers reinterpreted through contemporary moves as voodoo inspired rhythms filled the elaborate performance hall.

Performing at the 10^th edition of Market for the Arts in Abidjan (MASA), the artists took the audience on a mute journey to the late 1880s as they dealt with a ruling passed by an oracle while highlighting the era of fierce resistance to colonialism by Francophone West Africa.

It revealed consultations with priests and it’s consequences as orders pronounced by oracles were ignored – indeed, a subsequent war declared by a King eventually ends in surrender owing to the lack of commitment and treachery from some of his troops.

Clad in colorful costumes, the dancers evoked the fight of rural women who wish to sustain their traditional values with diverse movements while showcasing a new way of preserving our heritage through the medium of dance.

“The performance is deeply steeped in history, heritage and culture – it’s about resilience and determination of people who want to preserve their tradition while taking note of contemporary times”, said Koffie Agbo, a musician from Togo.

It was a night of over 1000 laughs at the Institut Français in Abidjan as the acclaimed Ivorian comedian / writer Adama Dahiko dug deep into his repertoire and dished out a cocktail of humor that ranged from politics, terrorism, curroption as well as the significance of numbers and alphabets.

In a two-hour blitz at the Institut Français in Abidjan, he touched on socio political issues while mimicking a number of world leaders including US president Donald Trump and several African leaders as he dilating on the issue of corruption.

He condemned the phenomenon of African leaders extending their mandate through referenda characterized by fear and intimidation and succinctly made wild fun on the relationship between African governments and the media with a short play.

“Dahiko is a bold artist with a determination to deal with the ills of our society in a satiric manner – nevertheless, it’s effect is quite phenomenal since he appears to have a huge following”, said Michelle Roux from Paris, France.

The crowd moved into a state of frenzy as he took on the character of an alcoholic who freely comments on issues in his society. His tone and demeanor added to the fun as catcalls and applause filled the auditorium.

In a rater audacious move, he set up a “conference call”, between current president Allasane Ouattara and former presidents Konan Bedie and Laurent Gbagbo while mimicking their voices in a near perfect manner.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Pictures – Mychel Tayee 

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Tenane Dance Company from Senegal yesterday surprised dance lovers at the ongoing MASA festival with a compelling performance through subtle, swift and fluid movements alongside a precise choreography that cuts straight into ones heart.

Choreographed by Marie Agnes Gomis, the four dancers exhibited raw energy alongside complex articulations that captured intermittent attention of viewers who cheered and applauded as the piece unfolded.

Titled “Who Are We”, the choreographer employed the use of urban dance forms that were effectively harnessed to create a new synthesis that exhibited attitudes of antagonism, anger and rage.

With a colorful plastic water bottles arranged on stage, they made the act of dancing look natural with solo and group movements – as they showcased a variety of emotions associated with anger – whether one is alone or with others.

“The dancers are full of energy – and the energy translates into the dance with such amazing harmony. Indeed, it seeped over from the stage and encompassed the audience in a relaxing manner “ added Chantal Kouame, a teacher in Dabou, a town close to Abidjan.

In a related performance at the same venue, Joseph Aka Dance Company swayed the crowd with rubbery movements that made effective use of fore arms, hands and fingers at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Turning their bodies into sketchy toys, the three Ivorian dancers displayed rigorous yet cool control of movements as they borrowed heavily from people with motor problems in their day-to-day struggles.

Choreographed by Joseph Aka, “No Rules”, which was inspired by “In the Chest of a Woman”, a play written by the late Ghanaian dramatist Efo Kojo Mawugbe, underscores the power and guidelines that affect and control the human body.

Accompanied by box/calabash drums and a double bass, the dancers appear to be forming, deforming and reforming bodies with movements that are motivated and created through traditional African gestures, signals and actions.

“It is a magical performance – the audience was virtually held spellbound. Joseph Aka is noted for productions that simply stimulate the mind”, said Olivier Seydou, a pharmacist in Abidjan.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Photos – Alessa Lübbig & Mychel Tayee

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire)

Henriette Dagri Diabaté, a former Ivorian Minister of Culture last week opened the 10^th edition of Market For Performing Arts Festival (MASA) in Abidjan during a colorful ceremony interspersed with brief magnetic performances.

She recounted the humble beginnings of MASA, which was initiated in 1993 with the support of La Francophonie and lauded past and present directors of the festival for a wonderful job in regard to sustenance and promotion of the arts.

Maurice Kouakou Bandaman, current Minister of Culture and Francophonie recalled the commitment of the authorities in the Ivory Coast in ensuring the success and survival of the festival, which has featured thousands of artists over the past twenty-five years.

“The birth of MASA was under the authority of HE Alassane Ouattara, the then Prime Minister / current President of Ivory Coast and vision of former president Félix Houphouet-Boigny, who described the festival as a unifying phenomenon for the promotion of arts and culture”’ he said.

On behalf of the Ivorian President / Prime Minister, he offered a sincere welcome and a warm stay to all participants ranging from artists, professionals, journalists and visitors adding that the Ivorian capital Abidjan is set to be the cultural hub of the world during the festival.

Director General of MASA, Prof Yacouba Konate paid tribute to the initiators of the festival for a brilliant concept that included development through culture adding that it is a torch that has been carried aloft no matter the circumstances.

Following the opening ceremony, the festival moved in first gear with a number dramatic music, dance and theatre performances as well as fashion shows at the Palais de la Culture (a grand edifice overlooking the lagoon Ebrie), as well as venues in the suburbs of Plateau, Koumassi, Adjame and Youpougon.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Pictures by Mychel Tayee 

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Multiple exhibitions of fifty works by the Osaka Triennial award winning artist Wiz Kudowor, that have never been displayed in public will in March take place in three galleries in Accra.

The exhibitions, which will open at the Ano Gallery (Friday March 16), Berj Gallery (Tuesday March 20) and Artists Alliance Gallery (Thursday March 22) – are being curated by Sela Adjei – a multi-disciplinary artist.

Spanning a period of forty years, works that will be on show include figure drawing, portraiture, still life, architectural designs, fabric designs and his well-known signature style of figurative abstraction with influences of African masks, geometric patterns and esoteric symbolism.

Noted for introducing dynamic artistic techniques and varied tools in his creative expressions, motherhood and feminine essence prominently feature in the themes that run through his work. Indeed, his bold paintings reference the traditional forms and symbols of Ghana’s rich cultural history while drawing inspiration from cubist and futurist styles.

Kudowor’s instantly recognizable style of abstracted figures, scenes and shapes are created using a palette knife and roller brush. His use of these tools – the brush for laying large areas of colour and the knife for more detailed work – is a technique he developed early in his practice.

Educated at the College of Art and Sculpture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST – Kumasi), his masterpieces can be found in permanent collections in reputable art galleries and private collections including the Alfred Spinnler Collection, African America Museum (USA), Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Collection (Japan) andMinistry of Culture (China).

Others are YSB Collection, Tun Daim Zainuddin Collection, (Malaysia), Flag Staff House, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Standard Chartered Bank, Dei Foundation and the National Museum and Monuments Board – all in Accra.

Also an alumnus of KNUST, Adjei is a member of the Arts Council of the African Studies Association. He has curated a number of exhibitions including the second Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Intellectual and Cultural Festival, which was held at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.

All three exhibitions, which are open to the general public, will terminate at the end of April 2018.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Three Ghanaian musicians, Blakk Rasta, Knii Lante and Fatau Keita will in March represent Ghana at the prestigious Market for African Performing Arts Festival (MASA), which is scheduled to take place in the Ivorian capital Abidjan.

They will join over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from all over Africa and the diaspora during the festival, which takes place from Saturday March 10 to Saturday March 17.

The festival, which will be held under the theme “Which Business Models for the Performing Arts? Groups, Concert Halls and Festivals”, will also encompass round table discussions on issues and background information relating to the creation of MASA in 1993.

A medical officer, songwriter and composer, Knii Lante, who is largely regarded as a reggae musician, has composed and recorded tunes that embrace a wide variety of genres. His debut 16-track album “Love and Revolution”, contain ballads and pop flavored compositions.

Noted for an outstanding voice, he has made live appearances on primetime Jamaican TV and Radio including Mutabaruka’s “Cutting Edge” show and Smile Jam TV. In September 2015, he opened a live concert at +233 Jazz Bar in Accra for Tony Rebel and Mutabaruka.

Renowned for reggae with conscious lyrics, Blakk Rasta has introduced a new synthesis he calls “Kuchoko”, which is reggae music blended with indigenous African rhythms and jungle sounds alongside instruments such as xylophone, talking drums and others.

His music is equally accompanied by indigenous African dance fusions and styles with dub poetry and roots reggae as its backbone. Nevertheless, hints of dancehall vibes and toasts are prevalent in a number of his compositions.

A vocalist with an amazing musical expression and intense stage performance, Fatau Keita’s live concerts constantly exude intense energy along with a magnetic stagecraft. He has performed to cheering audiences in various parts of Ghana and a number of African countries.

His acoustic recordings illuminate his musical skills and feel as a soloist, indeed his studio recordings showcase a strong quest for quality while taking musical inspiration from various Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian sources.

MASA is a cultural platform for promoting African Performing Arts with the objective of supporting creativity / good quality productions, facilitating movement of artists and their works within Africa and the world while training artists and key professionals in the production fields.

By John Owoo

(Accra – Ghana)

An exhibition of works by designer coffin maker Paa Joe and visual / performance artist Elisabeth Efua Sutherland that explore specific funeral practices among Ga and Fante communities in Ghana is closing at Gallery 1957 in Accra.

The exhibition, which ends on Friday January 12, focuses on the imaginary passing of a child. Evidently, they present death as a journey mediated through water while considering the trisection of the unborn, living and the dead.

It effectively interconnects Sutherland’s contemporary banners with the distinctive woodworks of Paa Joe – and forcefully builds on emerging practice in the annals of Ghanaian contemporary art, which tend to champion interdisciplinary and multigenerational contemporary collaboration.

Indeed, these exhibitions and practices have been challenging traditional and structural definitions of art with highly resonant exhibitions, performances, seminars and workshops that have provoked and excited art lovers in Accra and beyond.

Undeniably, groundbreaking exhibitions by blaxTARLINES (Kumasi), Gallery 1957, ANO Institute of Contemporary Art, Nubuke Foundation, Archi Afrika Design and Architecture Gallery and the Chale Wote Street Art Festival (Accra) have attracted rave reviews in the international media.

Noted for large-scale wooden caskets that persuasively imitate the shapes of various animals, totems, cars, aircrafts, cellphones, beer bottles, foot wear among others, Paa Joe’s colourful coffins equally help transport the departed in a fashionable and flamboyant way.

He has exhibited in diverse countries across the globe including Brooklyn Museum (New York, USA), V&A (London, UK) and Centre Pompidou (Paris, France) among others. His works form part of the collections of several museums including the British Museum in London, UK.

Sutherland is increasingly concerned with interactivity, video, sculpture and texture in making performance/performative objects. She is interested in the way culture can shape identity and development and the impact that active cultural curation can potentially have on individual and national attitudes.

Currently the Artistic Director of Accra Theatre Workshop and a former resident at the Villa Empain (Belgium) and the Harn Museum of Art (University of Florida, USA) she will be working on the second phase of “The Interstice Project” (Black Box), which is an expansion of a shipping container studio project.