Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana 

 

How did your art journey begin? 

Drawing was an escape, a way of keeping out of trouble. After school I wanted to study art. It didn't happen because my mum couldn't afford to send me to university. I stayed home for a few years, playing sports in my downtime and saving money. My mum got a new job and her co-worker wondered why I would come around all the time to help. I told him the reason, and he asked what I wanted to do with my life. Before then I had never imagined art to be lucrative tool. I was only thinking of what I would enjoy and love to do when I'm old. Drawing was the only thing that came to mind and that’s how it began.

​

How is it being a black artist in Europe, in contrast to being a black artist in Africa?

It's two different struggles. There is a lot of freedom and a range of topics to explore as an artist in Ghana, but Ghanaians have less interest in art and the community does not view art as a tool to make a living. Whereas in Europe it's a different story, there's a stronger infrastructure here, and many resources that provide you with the means to be an artist.

 

Being a black artist in Europe is a terrain of difficulties especially in the context of Austria, a white space, where a black artist has little to no chance as there is so much negativity surrounding the black body.

​

What themes do you explore through your art, and why?

The themes are a part of my everyday life; detoxing masculinity, body politics and thoughts from my diary. I like to tell my story myself as people have funny ways of telling other people's stories. For that reason I started the 'Diaspora Series', which serves as a form of documenting, celebrating and telling our stories ourselves.