Joseph Amedokpo is a
Togolese painter. He was born in
Vogan
Vogan is a town and canton located in the Maritime Region of Togo. It lies approximately northeast of Lomé, the capital of Togo, and is the capital of Vo prefecture. It is known for its Friday market, which is one of the largest voodoo market ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its ...
(West Africa), in 1946, and moved to
Lagos
Lagos ( Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 f ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...
, at the age of eight, where he received his education and art training, receiving a scholarship to the
Yaba Trade Center Yaba or YABA may refer to:
People
Yaba is a female given name associated with the Akan people of West Africa, usually denoting a girl born on a Thursday.
*Yaba Angelosi, South Sudanese American singer, songwriter, sound producer, film director, ...
where he studied fine art from 1966 to 1968.
Amedokpo paints using locally available oils and his canvases are recycled flour sacks, washed and stretched. His studio forms part of his family compound; a tin roof shelters him from the African sun and seasonal rains. He has achieved recognition in Europe and the United States.
In November 2008, Amedokpo was selected as one of four artists for Dell's Product RED initiative as part of the global fight against
AIDS.
Dell
Other artists selected include Siobhan Gunning, Bruce Mau
Bruce Mau D.Litt. (born October 25, 1959) is a Canadian designer and educator. He began his career a graphic designer and has since applied his design methodology to architecture, art, museums, film, eco-environmental design, education, and conc ...
and Mike Ming.
Noawadays Joseph Amedokpo does not have any money to buy medicine, to eat correctly or support his family. The agent who sold his creation, only gave him 50 euros every 6 months. In the beginning, he was not given the possibility to read his contract. Joseph Amedokpo doesn't have a bicycle or a car, or electricity in his house. Some days, he doesn't have money to buy the necessary products to work correctly; he is then obliged to borrow from his children.
References
External links
African Contemporary Art Gallery Joseph Amedokpo biography
Artprints & Original Art by Joseph Amedokpo
1946 births
Togolese artists
Living people
People from Vogan
21st-century Togolese people
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