Kofi Antubam (1922–1964), was a Ghanaian artist and designer. His work as official "state artist", appointed by

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

, shaped the national identity of the newly independent country of

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. Antubam's art practice included easel painting,

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

and

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

, and wood carving. As an educator and writer he encouraged Ghanaian artists and students to create work with an "African personality", that reflect local customs and traditions. His government commissions to design the symbols of state introduced the Akan

adinkra symbols ''Adinkra'' are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. ''Adinkra'' are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. ''Adinkra'' symbols appear on some tradi ...

and traditions to represent the new nation state. He was the founding president of the Ghana Society of Artists and a member of the Arts Council of Ghana. Antubam's artwork is in the national collections of Ghana, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Life

Antubam was born in 1922 to the family of Maame and Nana Mensah. His father died when Antubam was at a young age, thereafter his uncle took him to

Kumasi Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...

to start his education. He later spent some time in Jos, Nigeria, and also at Adisadel College. It was while at Adisadel College that he was encouraged to develop his craft. The principal, Father John Knight suggested to the governor, Arnold Hodson to commission the young Antubam to make a clay bust. After favorable reception of the sculpted work, he obtained sponsorship to attend

Achimota College Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school ...

. At Achimota College, he was a pupil of a Russian-born sculptor and art teacher, Herbert Vladimir Meyerowitz, a teacher who encouraged his students to absorb everyday community life as inspiration and not just copying European art traditions. Antubam's years at Achimota included completing an arts and craft course, teacher training course and a primary course. After graduation, Antubam supported himself through teaching, he also produced and sold figurative paintings. Between 1948 and 1950, he won a scholarship to study at Goldsmith College, London. In the 1950s, Antubam developed various works of arts and craft including Nkrumah's presidential mace and chair, various state commissioned relief mural carvings. In 1963, he published ''Ghana's Heritage of Culture'', a book that treats Ghana's contribution to the world of art and a medium Antubam used to make a case for a national art that represents Ghana's political and cultural history.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antubam 1922 births 1964 deaths Ghanaian artists Ghanaian expatriates in the United Kingdom