I am an artist from Ghana, a country where the field of art is often disregarded, and sculpture is mistakenly perceived as a male-dominated pursuit. The disparity is obvious; of the roughly twenty-five female students in my undergraduate program, I am the only one who is unwaveringly committed to pursuing a career in the arts—specifically in sculpture. Rather than assigning blame, I acknowledge the challenges faced by my peers who opt for more conventional career paths. Having been in a similar position, I understand the difficulties that come with deciding on a career that deviates from social conventions, especially in a society where gender preconceptions about artists are prominent. Choosing a path less traveled means embarking on a career journey without the full support of society, and at times, even from one’s own family and friends.
As a multidisciplinary artist, I communicate ideas through hybridity, performances, sculpture, poems, video, and installation with wood as my central material. Using themes of absurdity, humor, and storytelling, I critique the irrationality of gendered material culture and gender stereotypes. At its core, my practice is a journey of self-discovery—an ongoing navigation between two distinct realms: the world created for me by society and the one I shape for myself blurring the line between the binary gender and their roles.
I explore the tension between these contrasting realms, by manipulating materials traditionally associated with one gender to craft pieces traditionally linked to the opposite gender. Through this, I interrogate how meaning is assigned to materials and forms based on gendered assumptions. What happens when craft—a practice historically tied to domesticity and femininity—enters the space of fine art? Can this shift unravel the gendered and class-based hierarchies embedded within craft itself? My work also addresses the commodification of craft, asking how its value and perception transform when it becomes art.
My art serves as a medium to confront the preconceived notions surrounding the self, identity, material culture and gender stereotypes, aiming to question their prevailing status quo. With each piece I create, I invite viewers to join me in the reflection on various aspects of gender existence and encourage active participation in a dialogue centered around change, growth, self-discovery, and self-realization. My art prompts viewers to question unaware accepted limitations and advocate for a future defined by uniqueness and equality.