There is a growing community of the general public that have come to appreciate and the respect art in Ghana. This was evident at the Kempinski Hotel Accra as aspiring young artist Yaw Owusu exhibited his works to the admiration of all who were in attendance. The exhibition organised by Gallery 1957 was graced by a number of Ghana’s influential creative arts personalities the likes of Molly Koegh and Rania Odaymat.
Yaw Owusu demonstrated the trans-formative tendencies of copper by reimaging them as both material and pallet. His works raises urgent questions around economic and political independence in Ghana.
His works saw a creative usage of the one peswa coins which were introduced in 2007. The great works of art themed ‘All THAT GLITTERS’ is a series of jewel-like canvases with unique sense of formality and randomness, but maintain always a core body of geometric shapes and lines commonly found on national flags and modern architecture structures.
Yaw Owusu’s work is a meditation on the question of how value is made and unmade. Turning a seemingly “worthless” currency denomination into an object of intrinsic value which reflects upon the illusions of wealth, abundance and riches in the contemporary Ghanaian society. The artist also urges the viewers to reach their own conclusion.
