The creation of masquerading artifacts like masks, hats, stilts, flywhisks, African bells with ring strikers (castanets), and costumes from the inception of the culture in Ghana has been a matter of strict philosophical discourse, especially within the conceptualization of forms in a blend of mostly European and, rather less, from African perspectives. To date, the masquerade artists and the leaders of Winneba have maintained a blend of European and African frames of reference in conceptualizing their ideas and costumes. The Effutu Municipal Assembly notes that Winneba was traditionally known as “Simpa, ” “which was derived from the name of the leader of the Effutus, Osimpa’, who led the Effutus of the Guan ethnic stock from the Northern part of Ghana to the present location” (2015: 3). The name “Winneba” originated from European sailors, who were often aided by the favorable wind to sail along the bay; the constant use of...
Artifacts from the Perspective of Effutu Masquerade Performance: An Aesthetic Album
Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah is an associate professor and the pro vice chancellor at Takoradi Technical University. He holds a PhD in Arts & Culture from University of Education, Winneba and MFA (Fine Art), BFA (Fine Art) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi. Micah is a practicing sculptor with fifteen years of hands- on experience in the teaching of basic art courses at the tertiary level. He has published books, research publications and participated in several art exhibitions in Ghana. [email protected]
Evans Kwadwo Donkor is a lecturer at the Sculpture Technology Department, Takoradi Technical University. He is best known for his composite sculptures made from scrap metals and discarded automobile parts and other industrial detritus. Donkor is pursuing a PhD in Arts & Culture at University of Education, Winneba. As an artist, he strongly believes in bringing every material to life, reshaping and attaching the various components, giving old and new materials a new purpose as well as a bit of soul.
Owusu-Ansah Ankrah is a senior lecturer at the Department of Sculpture Technology, Takoradi Technical University. Ankrah gives meaning and lives to used, scatted, and unwanted alumunium materials (scraps) through his sculptures by casting. He is awaiting graduation after he successfully defended his PhD thesis in the Arts & Culture program at the University of Education, Winneba. He works from the known to the unknown and this has been his philosophy through the years.
Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah is an associate professor and the pro vice chancellor at Takoradi Technical University. He holds a PhD in Arts & Culture from University of Education, Winneba and MFA (Fine Art), BFA (Fine Art) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi. Micah is a practicing sculptor with fifteen years of hands- on experience in the teaching of basic art courses at the tertiary level. He has published books, research publications and participated in several art exhibitions in Ghana. [email protected]
Evans Kwadwo Donkor is a lecturer at the Sculpture Technology Department, Takoradi Technical University. He is best known for his composite sculptures made from scrap metals and discarded automobile parts and other industrial detritus. Donkor is pursuing a PhD in Arts & Culture at University of Education, Winneba. As an artist, he strongly believes in bringing every material to life, reshaping and attaching the various components, giving old and new materials a new purpose as well as a bit of soul.
Owusu-Ansah Ankrah is a senior lecturer at the Department of Sculpture Technology, Takoradi Technical University. Ankrah gives meaning and lives to used, scatted, and unwanted alumunium materials (scraps) through his sculptures by casting. He is awaiting graduation after he successfully defended his PhD thesis in the Arts & Culture program at the University of Education, Winneba. He works from the known to the unknown and this has been his philosophy through the years.
all photos courtesy Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah, except where otherwise noted
Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah, Evans Kwadwo Donkor, Owusu-Ansah Ankrah; Artifacts from the Perspective of Effutu Masquerade Performance: An Aesthetic Album. African Arts 2023; 56 (2): 48–63. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/afar_a_00709
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