Browsing by Author "Bediako-Bonsu, Abena Nyarko"

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    Ghanaian women’s life in mixed - media sculpture
    (1999) Bediako-Bonsu, Abena Nyarko
    The travails of searching for “individual Ghanaian identity” is the pivotal point, from which the whole research springs. Chapter one Introduction - Yearnings; Charts the evolution of this enquiry up until its emergence in the present day. It then explains the objectives and the validity of this study and the methodology that will be employed in order to resolve the above problem. Chapter Two: Literature Review - Initiation; Sets the cultural historical background from which the gold weight genre emerged. The famous Akan gold weights commonly known as Ashanti gold weights have held public attention, of worldwide acclaim for their provocative, evocative, proverbial, “delightfully mundane” and symbolic imagery. These weights represent the proto-type from whose tradition “Ghanaian Women’s Life in Mixed-Media Sculpture” continues on in literature and thought. The weights will also be surveyed. Chapter Three: Comparative Study - Metal Earth Connections; Parallels different mixed-media metal sculptures and paintings which draw on the same themes as the sculptures in chapter five. Chapter Four: Experimental Survey-Beginnings; Documents the metal sculpture executed during the first year of study. One of these is semi-abstracted, while the others are objects of varied themes. Chapter Five: Analytical Main Study - Belonging; Elucidates on the major mixed-media metal sculptural and two dimensional works. Revealing their interpretations and the cultural histories from which they draw their inspiration, is the core of this chapter. Chapter Six: Conclusion - Knowing; Brings together all the sentiments of change and awareness which have conclusively fulfiled the objective. Future application of the ideas is also put forward. The three underlying themes that run through the project are: Firstly Family for it is from this relationship which our primary source of Socialization 2 is derived. This interaction cements the character within. The family are the vital cords than joins us to our ancestors who hold the key to the mysteries of our history. Secondly The Ghanaian female body which is born out of the Ghanaian family unit and carries within itself the codes of idiosyncratic tribal behaviour and identity associated with different aspects of Ghanaian womanhood. And thirdly Dance which is a culminative rhythmic body expression of the family heritage with its particular peculiarities, which is individually