Kwame Akoto-Bamfo
| Ein sex anaa gender | male  |
|---|---|
| Country wey e be citizen | Ghana |
| Name in native language | Kwame Akoto-Bamfo |
| Name wey dem give am | Kwame |
| Family name | Akoto |
| Ein date of birth | 1983 |
| Place dem born am | Ghana |
| Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign | English |
| Ein occupation | sculptor |
| Field for work | art of sculpture |
| Educate for | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology |
| Movement | sculptor |
| Dema official website | http://ancestorprojectgh.com/ |
| Personal pronoun | L485 |
Kwame Akoto-Bamfo (born 1983) be a multi-disciplinary artist, educator den activist, dem know am for ein sculptures den massive body of works he dedicate to de memory, dey heal den Restorative Justice for people of African descent. Ein outdoor sculptures be dedicated to de memory of de victims of de Transatlantic slave trade, notably de installation Nkyinkim, for display at de National Memorial for Peace and Justice dem gbele insyd 2018 insyd Montgomery, Alabama.[1] Ein oda sculptures dey include an installation of 1,200 concrete heads wey dey represent Ghana ein enslaved ancestors insyd Accra, de capital of Ghana. Na dem bell am Faux-Reedom, na dem unveil am insyd 2017.[2]
Early life den education
[edit | edit source]Kwame Akoto-Bamfo grow up insyd Accra den de Eastern Region of Ghana, wer na dem raise he den ein sisto by a single mommie den grandmommie. He learn chaw of traditional Ghanaian culture den values am as well as African philosophy from village life plus ein grandmommie, he later attend schools insyd Ghana ein capital Accra before he attend Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School. Upon graduating, he train at de College of Arts Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology wer na he graduate plus first-class honours wey then later he attain ein master's degree from de same university. Na he work as a lecturer den acting Head of Graphic Design Department for four years, wey he lef insyd 2013 make he pursue a career as a full-time artist den social entrepreneur.
Exhibitions
[edit | edit source]Nkyinkyim Installation
[edit | edit source]De Nkyinkyim Installation be an evolving installation, dem create make he archive African history den African heritage, wey e get an extensive section dem dedicate to enslaved Africans. Dis globally acclaimed installation dey extend de impact of de National Memorial for Peace and Justice; de Nkyinkyim Installation den Legacy Museum; Nkyinkyim Installation; Dirge Across time/Melancholic lullabies.
Oda activities
[edit | edit source]Public speaking
[edit | edit source]Kwame Akoto-Bamfo dey regularly engage insyd public speaking, research, den lectures largely due to ein work as a sculptor, archiving den promoting African history den cultural heritage at Nkyinkyim Museum.
Film den television
[edit | edit source]- The Art of Healing (2022 documentary, in post-production, Executive Producer den Co-writer)
- Enslaved (2020 miniseries)
- The Lost Ancestors
Awards
[edit | edit source]- GUBA Influential artist of de Year 2019
- Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Artist (Inaugural Winner)
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Miller, James H. (April 16, 2018). "Alabama memorial confronts America's racist history". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ↑ McCool, Alice (6 Mar 2017). "Accra in the spotlight: colonial questions as Ghana's capital celebrates its 60th". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
External links
[edit | edit source]- Official website
- Biography
- Building Restorative Justice Across the African Diaspora
- Bearing witness to slavery: A sculpture’s trans-Atlantic passage from Ghana to Alabama - The Boston Globe Archived 2018-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Kwame Akoto-Bamfo - STOA169
- Artist - Blank Slate Monument
- This traveling sculpture challenges the story Confederate statues tell (nbcnews.com)
- EJI Releases Video on Sculpture About Enslavement
- People&Places: A look into one of Ghana's biggest museums making waves internationally - Nkyinkyim (ghanaweb.com) Archived 2022-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Ancestor Project Gh – Ancestor Project Gh Archived 2023-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Exploration of the influences that shapes the art and activism.
- David J. Maloney's part one of an interview with Kwame Koto-Bamfo on his influences in representational art dealing with restorative justice and the African diaspora
- Part 2 of the interview with David J. Maloney, discussing the spiritual and contextual aspects of the Nkyinkyim Installation in Montgomery Alabama, and the touring installation of The Blank Slate Monument.
Academic talks/lectures
[edit | edit source]- Mondays at Beinecke: Building Restorative Justice Across the African Diaspora with Kwame Akoto-Bamfo | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (yale.edu)
- The Year of Return & Beyond: Reclaiming African History and Ancestry through the Nkyinkyim Installation | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library (yale.edu)
- KABE explains Ancestor Project at University of Ghana, Legon - YouTube