Almighty God graces the Fowler
The Fowler Museum at UCLA presents “How Do You See This World?: The Art of Almighty God,” a retrospective of almost 80 paintings by contemporary Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto
Drawn from the Fowler’s collection of significant contemporary works from Ghana and institutional and private loans, Akoto’s paintings survey a surprising array of subject matter, from portraits to animated biblical scenes to expressionistic accumulations of paint, all linked by a through line of textual commentary that appears in each work. One of the most prolific artists in West Africa, Akoto captivates an ever-growing audience, and his studio in Kumasi has become a popular tourist attraction.
Addressed as “Almighty” by friends and acquaintances, Akoto founded Almighty God Art Works in 1972, after completing a rigorous six-year apprenticeship. The studio specializes in sign writing, including hand-painted signs for small businesses, cloth banners for evangelical events and tin portraits for grave monuments. As the industry continues to trend toward digital printing, Akoto has been devoting more time to what he calls “creativity arts” which are paintings produced primarily for an international clientele and range from depictions of international celebrities to Christian themes of temptation and salvation, to commentaries on the world’s problems. The universe of topics addressed in Akoto’s paintings is constantly growing, along with his use of Christian maxims and biblical citations. Self-portraits appear throughout the exhibition, offering reflections on the artist and the human condition.
Almighty’s practice as a sign writer permeates his creativity arts in the form of texts running the perimeter of wooden frames or embedded in the paintings. The written word is at least as important as the painted image in Almighty’s works. He has said, “You need to read to understand my art.” In addition to scriptural quotes and descriptions of a given subject, the texts include expositions on the process of painting, sustaining Almighty’s firm belief that his creations speak to both artist and viewer. The interplay of word and image is characteristic of the arts of the Akan-speaking peoples of southern Ghana. Almighty draws upon this tradition in his own way, creating a direct channel of communication in which the subject and sometimes the paint itself initiates a dialogue with viewers. — Beverly Press staff, Feb. 24, 2022
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Beverly Press website.
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