A first time visit to Amorko Gravity Studios in Osu, will make one to quickly draw a comparison between art galleries or studios in Ghana and other parts of the developed world, but that comparison, cannot take away the innovative and creative works that come out of this studio. The brain behind this ‘everything art’ studio is versatile artist, Nicholas Nii Amasah.
Nii Amasah says “art has been my talent from infancy. Naturally it is in the family as my mother used to sew and my sister as well”. He started this art business ten years when he was working with an NGO called Ever Images at Nungua. This NGO which is owned by his aunty specializes in teaching street children and kids beads-making and also gets volunteers from different parts of the world to help in sustaining their cause.
His brilliant paintings were spotted by one of the volunteers who came from Canada. This volunteer took the painting to Canada for exhibition in an international show which Nii Amasah says brought good responses from people who were impressed with his work. This feat earned him an invitation from a French friend to exhibit in France recently but he was unfortunately denied a traveling visa.
Holder of a Diploma in Arts and a certificate in Graphics from the school of Ultimate Art in Mamprobi in Accra, Nii Amasah honed his art at Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC). He says painting has two major components - graphics and normal painting. The graphics, he indicates, has more to do with advertising and has been relegated to the background as Nii Amasah continues to execute the painting talent with perfection.
Most of the paintings on display in Amorko Gravity Studios are both abstract and figure works (abstracts being paintings you cannot readily understand on the face of it and figure works are pieces you can really see and quickly appreciate). The paintings, many of which have human interest undertones portray kids, ‘kayayei’ and general life in Accra. Nii Amasah is also into fashion as he sews costumes for both ladies and gentlemen. He developed this sewing interest when he was in the first year in art school as he took fashion designing lessons.
Nii Amasah has held major exhibitions in different art galleries over the years. As a member of the Ghana Artists Association, he has exhibited with the Contemporary Artists Association at the Goethe Institute, the Junior Art Club at the British Council, and also some major hotels in Accra including Novotel. Talking about his future projects, Nii is collaborating with the Director of Ever Images to do an exhibition at Alliance Francaise on the 14th of April, an event which he says will display at least twenty-five of his works. He also plans to hold another exhibition at the National Museum in July this year.
Wondering whether to call Nii Amasah an all-rounder? Go ahead and you won’t be wrong. Doing a little bit of modeling in school, Nii is a member of Exopa Models and uses calabash to do jewelleries like earrings. He has also been in batiks and textiles for a while now to which he says he taught a volunteer from Spain who is now doing well in the textile and batik industry in Spain. However, he does not see himself as a versatile as he said, “As an artist, you should be able to do a lot of things. Arts do with creativity therefore an artist should be able to cut across”.
The paintings which some Nii Amasah says can sell over $2000 seem good for the business but, however, he was quick to point out how bad the market is in Ghana. “In Ghana, people are not really interested in painting. I am not really thinking about the money but to carve a niche for myself.”
Nii Amasah says “art has been my talent from infancy. Naturally it is in the family as my mother used to sew and my sister as well”. He started this art business ten years when he was working with an NGO called Ever Images at Nungua. This NGO which is owned by his aunty specializes in teaching street children and kids beads-making and also gets volunteers from different parts of the world to help in sustaining their cause.
His brilliant paintings were spotted by one of the volunteers who came from Canada. This volunteer took the painting to Canada for exhibition in an international show which Nii Amasah says brought good responses from people who were impressed with his work. This feat earned him an invitation from a French friend to exhibit in France recently but he was unfortunately denied a traveling visa.
Holder of a Diploma in Arts and a certificate in Graphics from the school of Ultimate Art in Mamprobi in Accra, Nii Amasah honed his art at Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC). He says painting has two major components - graphics and normal painting. The graphics, he indicates, has more to do with advertising and has been relegated to the background as Nii Amasah continues to execute the painting talent with perfection.
Most of the paintings on display in Amorko Gravity Studios are both abstract and figure works (abstracts being paintings you cannot readily understand on the face of it and figure works are pieces you can really see and quickly appreciate). The paintings, many of which have human interest undertones portray kids, ‘kayayei’ and general life in Accra. Nii Amasah is also into fashion as he sews costumes for both ladies and gentlemen. He developed this sewing interest when he was in the first year in art school as he took fashion designing lessons.
Nii Amasah has held major exhibitions in different art galleries over the years. As a member of the Ghana Artists Association, he has exhibited with the Contemporary Artists Association at the Goethe Institute, the Junior Art Club at the British Council, and also some major hotels in Accra including Novotel. Talking about his future projects, Nii is collaborating with the Director of Ever Images to do an exhibition at Alliance Francaise on the 14th of April, an event which he says will display at least twenty-five of his works. He also plans to hold another exhibition at the National Museum in July this year.
Wondering whether to call Nii Amasah an all-rounder? Go ahead and you won’t be wrong. Doing a little bit of modeling in school, Nii is a member of Exopa Models and uses calabash to do jewelleries like earrings. He has also been in batiks and textiles for a while now to which he says he taught a volunteer from Spain who is now doing well in the textile and batik industry in Spain. However, he does not see himself as a versatile as he said, “As an artist, you should be able to do a lot of things. Arts do with creativity therefore an artist should be able to cut across”.
The paintings which some Nii Amasah says can sell over $2000 seem good for the business but, however, he was quick to point out how bad the market is in Ghana. “In Ghana, people are not really interested in painting. I am not really thinking about the money but to carve a niche for myself.”
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