Bright Tetteh Ackwerh

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Bright Ackwerh
Born
Bright Tetteh Ackwerh

NationalityGhanaian
Known forVisual Art, Painting
AwardsKunyehia Prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art

Bright Tetteh Ackwerh is a Ghanaian satirical artist who employs the domains of popular art, street art, painting, and illustration to voice and document his persuasions. He has exhibited widely in Ghana and West Africa, building a niche as an emerging contemporary Ghanaian artist on the West African art scene.[1]

Early life[edit]

Born in Accra, Ghana, Bright attended Accra Academy and studied Visual Arts for his senior high school education, before proceeding to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to study for BFA and MFA degrees in painting.[2] He completed his first degree in 2011 and served as a teaching assistant the following year.

Career[edit]

He began by exhibiting his artworks via social media and also painting on wall murals in the streets of Accra. He has featured in many art exhibitions in Ghana and abroad. Some these include: Art X Lagos Exhibition in Nigeria,[3] blockbuster exhibitions by Blaxtarlines in Kumasi and the Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Accra.

In 2016, he won the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art at an event held at the Ringway Estates in Accra.[4][5] Bright has through the years used social media in sharing his works and provoking powerful sentiments around the themes he explores in his illustrations and paintings.

He has also participated in group shows in Accra, Paris, Johannesburg and Los Angeles. In October 2017 he featured in the October edition of CNN African Voices.[6] He was also on the Barclays L'Atelier Art Competition's 2017 list of top 10 artists.[7][8][9]

Style[edit]

His style is a satirical re-presentation of Ghanaian sociopolitical and religious issues in an incisive manner that provokes conversations, sparks debate and elicits response. He draws huge inspiration from Fela Kuti and other great African heroes as the subject of his works depict the unapologetic manner in relaying his messages.

He believes the music culture has a certain power to influence and inspire people and there's always the use of double and triples entendre that provide entry points into some of the discussions that the artwork generates.

Awards[edit]

  • In 2016 Bright Ackwerh won the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art award.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bright Ackwerh". UNESCO. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Artist Bright Ackwerh shares insights into the impact of popular art". ashesi education. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Art X Lagos, Exhibition of Works by Bright Tetteh Ackwerh, Latifah Iddriss, Owusu Ankomah & Marigold Akufo-Addo, November 2016". ANO. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Bright Ackwerh wins 2016 Kuenyehia prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art". 18 April 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. ^ The Mirror,"Bright Ackwerh is art prize winner", Graphic Online, 22 April 2016.
  6. ^ Es,"7 Artworks From Bright Ackwerh" Archived 2019-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, How Ghana, 26 October 2017.
  7. ^ "World Press Freedom Day 2018". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  8. ^ Adie Vanessa Offiong,"Bright Ackwerh: My art and I", Daily Trust, 15 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Bright Ackwerh Uses His Polarizing Satirical Illustrations To Tell the Hard Truths of the World". okayafrica. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Bright Ackwerh wins 2016 Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 11 July 2019.