Thursday 7 April 2011

Art: Ken Gwira

"In May 1981 seated in my father’s office in Ghana, I wanted a design that would be a symbol for Africa, and a symbol for the world.



I thought of “Woman.”  I pulled out a large sheet of paper and being inspired drew a head with curves, circles and straight lines to depict the eye, nose, mouth and ear.


The eye for vision, the nose for detection, the mouth for communication, and the ear for direction. All purposed with one goal in mind: meaningful development and defense of all we hold dear."Ken Gwira




Woman is The Key by Ken Gwira


Adam

Uncle
 
Due to the mass produced wooden ‘so called’ art pieces coming out of Ghana and the African continent - I sort of went off this genre until I stumbled across the following wooden sculptures by Ken Gwira. His one of a kind, philosophical Objets d′art" are beautiful, relevant and much coveted. For more info visit: http://www.tradefairsite.com/kengwira/

More info about Ken Gwira
Ken Gwira is a self-taught sculptor and artist born in Ghana (West Africa) who has been carving professionally since 1981. He has created countless one-of-a-kind wooden sculptures and is, perhaps, best known for his signature furniture-art series known as “Conversation Seat” and for his philosophical carving, “Woman is the Key.”  Over the years, he has been featured or interviewed in several media including the following: Article in “West Africa” magazine; Article in “Balafon”, the in-flight magazine of Air Afrique; Interviewed by the “BBC”, Interviewed by the “Voice of America” and  Art focus in “Black Ethnic Collectibles” publication.

Gwira is also a talented poet. One of his poems, “Message of the Tree,” which he wrote to compliment one of his carvings of the same title, is published in “Echoes of Yesterday” by The National Library of Poetry, USA. Gwira’s works can be found in private collections all over the world. (credit: http://tradefairsite.com/kengwira/about-the-artist/

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