A batik textile artist, Mr Edward Lamptey, has called for the establishment of a National Art Gallery to serve as a repository for Ghanaian art and artifacts to help preserve the country’s cultural heritage for future generations.
He stated that when established, the gallery could also provide a platform for local artists to showcase their works to a wider audience, increasing their visibility and potential for success.
Mr Lamptey made the call in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday on the sidelines of a visual arts exhibition at the Accra City Hotel in Accra.
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The exhibition, which began last Thursday is expected to end on May 28, 2023.
The titles of some of Mr Lamptey’s art works displayed at the exhibition included “Afrobeat celebration,” “Tie dye,” “fishing expedition,” “Divine arrangement,” “Midnight dance,” “Urban Village,” “Alone with music,” “Ancestral mask,” “Tribal mask” and Cultural Concept.”
According to Mr Lamptey, the gallery could also serve as a resource for educational institutions and researchers offering access to diverse collection of arts and artifacts for study and analysis.
The artist further stated that the presence of the arts centre in Accra alone was not enough and the environment not conducive.
A universal studio where all artists in weaving, ceramics, sculpture and painting could showcase their works, he said, and this would also attract tourists leading to a massive generation of revenue for the country.
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Touching on the aesthetic relevance of art works, he said “Ghanaian artists are deeply connected to the country’s culture, history, and identity so they always capture the beauty and complexity of whatever they are painting, ensuring it will stand out and contribute to the global art scene.”
Mr Lamptey, who is also the founder of the Edrose Foundation and Art Gallery, located at Shiashie, Accra, said he had acquired a much knowledge in visual arts and was ready to impact it into people.
In furtherance, he dispelled rumours that individuals who study arts in school were not intelligent, saying arts needed critical thinking, therefore only creative people could excel in that field.
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He bemoaned that past and present governments had shown very low interest in investing heavily into arts “and this shows how much visual arts is underrated in Ghana by authorities.”
The artist expressed gratitude to management of the Accra City Hotel for offering artists the opportunity to exhibit their art works at their premises at no cost, every month.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
