By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)
Paintings by Cecilia Lamptey Botchway, which comprise diverse human figures in striking poses are currently on show at the Nubuke Foundation in Accra.
Titled “Make We Dance”, she explores the idea of dance as a form of movement by painting figures that reveal impermanent and fluid movements through space and time while incorporating batik motifs.
Botchway, who was trained at the School of Art, Design and Printing at the Yaba College of Technology (Nigeria), creates relative calmness in her paintings despite the swift and subtle movements that are easily noticeable.
Her backgrounds – which are characterized by cloth stamping and batik patterns – are specifically layered on canvases as they are normally placed on fabrics, although they are unrestricted by the constraints of textile design and layout.
The largely figurative paintings by Botchway also comprise striking illustrations of scenes from real dance performances that remind viewers of the power of dance while prompting views the proficiencies of choreographers and dancers.
Painted dark skin characterized by shades of blue, yellow, green and silver backgrounds are embellished with mopping wool and diverse hairstyles alongside facial expressions and clothes that promote the local textile industry.
The paintings equally contest and defy stereotypes surrounding black people while portraying extraordinary talent through delicate and rapid body movements, which largely remind viewers of the power and diversity of Ghanaian traditional dance forms.
Titled “Make We Dance”, the exhibition ends on Wednesday August 31, 2022.
Terrific!