Hairdresser Signs: The Art of Ghana

Published 1 February 2013 – The Mirror, Ghana

We walk past hairdresser signboards so often in Ghana, that we never really stop to notice. But art galleries all over the world are taking a growing interest in what is fast becoming a celebrated artform.

Right now at museums in the UK, US and Europe, hand-painted hairdresser and barbershop signboards are selling for thousands of dollars. From the Museum for African Art in New York to the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, Serbia, prestigious museums are organizing whole exhibitions of hairdresser and barbershop signs from Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire.

Even a recently published book called ‘Joe’s Hair That Talks: The Vibrant Sign Culture of Ghana’ includes photos of outstanding barber and hairdresser signs. However at home in Ghana, little appreciation is paid to these signs as a form of art.

Dr Doran Ross is one of the academics trying to change this perception. As Director Emeritus of the Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, he has been studying and collecting the signpainters of Ghana for nearly forty years.

With their skillful hand-painting and creativity in style and form, he says the signs are a stunning example of African artistic culture; “Galleries and audiences are interested in African handpainted signs because they are wonderfully creative works of art,” he says.

Why then, do the signs receive little attention in Ghana? “Most people around the world do not fully appreciate the artistic signage they drive by on a daily basis,” he suggests. “We generally have other things on our minds and often need to have the day to day arts pointed out to us by someone else.”

It is not only the stylistic artistry which interests academics like Ross; Hair and hairdressing are undeniably an important part of Ghanaian culture. Many academics this is because hair, especially grooming and braiding, is a platform for Ghanaian discussions about identity, race and nationhood. Hairdresser signboards are a tangible example of this, says Ross.

For example, some expose our interest in American culture, with business titles like ‘Poet USA Haircut’ or ‘America Salon’. In the 50’s and 60’s many signboards presented paintings of American celebrities such as Muhammad Ali or James Brown. Today they include more modern stars such as Rihanna or Beyonce. “This is a comment on numerous glabalizing phenomena, including issues related to celebrity, fashion, music and technology,” says Ross.

Even the titles of hairdresser businesses are creative, with many using humour or personal stories. Some of Ross’s favourites are ‘Depend on Jesus Haircut’, ‘Eye Hustler Man No Peace Hair’ and ‘Death Row Changes Unisex Salon’.

So next time you are walking past a hairdresser sign, make sure to have a closer look. You might just be looking at the next big artist.

I am not a love person: Spoken word in Ghana

Published 28 July 2012 – The Mirror, Ghana

“I am not a love person”, says Black. “I’m not into love poems. I don’t know how to write a love poem.”

As the co-ordinator of Elhalakasa, Quaye Kojo Benedict (or ‘Black’ as he is known on stage) lives and breathes poetry. But he gets frustrated when people assume poetry can only be about love.

Poems can be about anything from clothes to black power, a traumatic event, politics, or anything from our everyday lives, he says. It’s all just about expressing whatever pops into your head.

He is so passionate about it that he founded a regular spoken word night where you can do just that. Its name is Elhalakasa.

“Elhalakasa is a straight talk, straight philosophy, poetry and music,” he says. Every last Sunday of the month, a group of writers, poets, musicians and lovers of words come together to perform, listen and enjoy other people’s work.

The name is made up of three local words put together – ‘Eha’ comes from the Ewe word for ‘song’, ‘La’ is Ga for ‘to sing’, and Kasa means ‘talk’ in Twi.

“Elhalakasa is performance art – if you want to do spoken word, want to sing, want to act, say proverbs or whatever, you do it creatively.” he says. “Poetry has a new name in Ghana and it is Elhalakasa.”

The event is open to any one to perform – new writers and first time poets share the stage with more established artists. It’s all just a chance to practice and have your work heard.

When you think about poetry, you usually think of reading silently to yourself from a book. But Elhalakasa gives writers the chance to speak their work, and receive instant feedback from the audience.

“A lot of the guys who started coming were not sure if they could get up on stage to perform… All they know is that they can write poems and that’s it.” says Black. “We have guys who have grown into real cool performers, just because they’ve seen other people do it.”

It’s also a chance to celebrate poetry and create greater awareness of the artform. Ghana has a long history of spoken word, but many do not realise it is still valuable. “We have really great men and women in this country who are doing good with poetry but they are only known internationally. In their own country they are not very recognized.” Elhalakasa creates a place for young up and coming poets to practise and grow their art.

If you’d like to find out more, Elhalakasa is on this Sunday night (and the last Sunday of every month) at the Nubuke Foundation in East Legon, or the Pan African Writers Association organizes an event on the first Sunday of the month in Roman Ridge.

Illustrating Children’s Books: Ghana

Published July 2012 The Mirror, Ghana

There is something special about a book you remember from childhood. The story is enchanting, and some can still recite entire books they loved as kids. But often it is the pictures which remain firmly in your memory – the colours, the lines and the faces which helped to shape your understanding of the world.

With this in mind, the Golden Baobob Literature Prize, along with the Ghana chapter of the International Board of Books for Young People have partnered to create a 9 day workshop in children’s illustration, beginning this Thursday.

“Children’s illustrations are important because they help children to develop”, says co-founder of Golden Baobob Deborah Ahenkorah. “They draw a child into that world.”

Book illustrations are instrumental to a child’s enjoyment of a book, but little is being done to train and encourage young illustrators, she says. “The children’s book illustration scene is uncharted territory for young artists,” she explains. This workshop will hopefully fill in this gap by supporting further learning in the profession.

The problem with the children’s book publishing industry currently, says Ahenkorah, is the lack of books coming from Africa. It’s important for children to read stories written in Africa, see images of people who look like them and stories centering on African themes. This in turn will encourage greater pride in who they are, she says. “Children are exposed to many harsh realities”, she says. “Books give children a respite from the world.”

Some of the best examples of children’s illustrations coming from this continent deal with distinctly African themes. In Niki Daley’s book Jamela’s Dress, the rich colours of the fabric shop are brought to life. And in Angela Christian’s book Kente for a King, illustrator Edmund Opare beautifully captures life in the village of Bonwire, as a tailor must weave a special kente for the king.

Hosting the workshop will be one of the giants of the children’s book publishing industry, Meshack Asare. He is the author of classic children’s books The Brassman’s Secret and Sosu’s Call, which was the winner of the UNESCO First Prize for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the Service of Tolerance. With such prizes under his belt, he has a long-standing reputation as one of the industry’s most important players.

Enrolling in the workshop is a competitive process. Up-and-coming illustrators from all over the country have sent examples of their best work for consideration. Soon the top ten will be handpicked and given free enrolment to the workshop. Take notes of those names – these may just be the master illustrators of the future.

Image credit:  Eliza Wheeler for  9 Degrees North: The ABCs of Northern Ghana book

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