Betty Acquah is one of the foremost female painters in Ghana who celebrates the achievements of women in her country. She says that women are the unsung heroes of our time and she depicts the same in her energetic paintings. With the use of dots and lines Betty has effectively captured movement in her artworks.
I first met Betty during my exhibition at Alliance Francaise in Accra but unfortunately there was no occasion when we met at leisure to exchange ideas. So when the Co-founder of Foundation of Contemporary Art ,Ghana Adwoa Amoah, generously fixed an appointment for me to visit Betty Acquah, I was very happy that she was very kind to immediately respond.
Her studio is located on the outskirts of Accra near Nsawam on Kumasi road which is usually a busy road. Betty has a separate room as a studio in the premises of her house. It was delight to meet her. An elongated room with a big work table in the center with the walls full of finished and unfinished paintings was her studio. The movement in her paintings have always caught my attention. Bursting with colours, movement and brushstrokes , her paintings so beautiful and vibrant give a feeling of life force pulsating. Especially in her paintings depicting dancers, she has successfully achieved a visual rhythm much like the rhythm in music. Instead of notes and sounds, the use of dots, lines, colours and shapes creates a strong rhythm.
Betty uses pointillism technique and for my recent series on Reflection I have also used pointillism and hence was very eager to know her process and gain more knowledge of the technique.
Betty uses pointillism technique and for my recent series on Reflection I have also used pointillism and hence was very eager to know her process and gain more knowledge of the technique.
Betty was a comfortable person to talk to and we began our conversation in a very informal way.
Thank you Betty for having me here. To start with can you tell us about your initial artistic journey?
I was born in Capecoast and was a 10th born in 12 children.I did schooling in Capecoast and Graduation in Kumasi. I had been drawing since childhood. And my drawings used to impress my teachers, family and friends. I knew instinctively that I was going to be an artist. While studying in Kwame Nkrumah University, being good at drawing and painting my lecturers persuaded me to take up Painting as major instead of Textile and Design. I completed B.A(Hons)Art and later on went to the same college to complete MFA. I also had a professional training course in Tokyo school of Arts while in Japan. After coming to Ghana, worked with Berj Gallery in Accra as a Manager. I also worked with the art gallery of Center for National Culture , Ghana. After 4 years of work I stopped to pursue as a full time artist.
How have you evolved as an artist?
I was the artist of the family. I got a lot of encouragement from family and friends. I was also a dancer and I knew that I wanted to do art right from the beginning.
How do you seek out opportunities? Tell us about your first exhibition.
My first exhibition was at PAFAM 90( Pan African Festival of Arts and Music) which was held at Trade Fair grounds in Accra. My cousin paid for the space . It was a satisfying exhibition as people were amazed that a lady could paint in such a way though I didn’t sell a single piece. There I met two gallery owners who liked my paintings and that is how I started exhibiting at other places as well.
Which artists have influenced you and have you collaborated with other artists?
Locally I was influenced by Wiz Kuduwor, Prof Abalade Glover and a few others whereas Internationally mostly the impressionists. My first exhibition was quickly followed by another one at then Amahema Art Gallery. I collaborated with already famous Ghanaian painters like Amon Kotei( who was the designer of Coat of Arms of Ghana), Prof Ablade Glover (now the owner of the Artist Alliance Gallery) and Tafa Fiadzigbe( who now lives and paints in US). I have also exhibited in India, Japan, Nigeria, Spain,UK , USA etc. All these exhibitions have helped me grow as an artist.
Let us know a little bit about your work. What is the creative process of your work? Do you make any preparatory drawings?
Yes, I always have preparatory sketches. I first do the under-painting by adding different colours at random to my primed canvas and then decide on the colour scheme. I then transfer my concept from the sketchpad by making tiny dots ,almost invisible , with darkish colour. Dots are then used to make the outlines. Mid tones for the figures and the background is done simultaneously. With the shadows done, figures are finished with highlights. Every painting is ended with the dots in white. I always try to follow a rhythm in my paintings.
You use pointillism technique about which I am very eager to know as my recent series of artworks are in the same style. How did you develop your style?
It came through experimentation. In the 3rd year of College of Arts, students were expected to come up with their unique styles. I experimented with many techniques but finally settled down on impressionism. I loved the works of French Impressionists. Especially Monet, Pierre Renoir, Van Gogh impressed me a lot. I was hooked at them. That’s when I decided to try pointillism. My lecturers liked it and advised me to continue with it which I did. But after a while I realized that I was stuck there , I found my paintings too still which I didn’t like. Me being a dancer ,I needed movement , some rhythm and that’s how I was successful to achieve the aesthetic arrest which people find in my paintings.
What are the mediums you work in?
I have used oil and water colours but now have settled on Acrylic as it dries fast.
How would you describe the subject matter or the contents of your works? We have seen women taking foremost place in your works.
Yes, most of my works depicts the ordinary women working courageously. The trials , celebrations, successes of these women form the central theme of my works. I love dancing so I also like to portray dancers, musicians. I also like painting nature. And in all these works my main focus is motion.
When do you think that your work is finished? How much time do you spend working in your studio?
My work is finished by an instinct. Since my studio is in the premises of my house its easy for me to enter studio anytime. I spend at least 8 hours in the studio.
What are you inspired by? Are you reading , listening or looking at a particular thing to fuel your work? Are you a philosophical person? How do you navigate through the art world?
I like to listen to music while painting. I also listen to the spiritual messages on You Tube, though I am not a philosophical person. I simply follow where my heart leads me.
I have an account on Facebook . There are some galleries in Ghana who represent me like Artist Alliance gallery and Tiga-African Art gallery.
What is the art scene like in Ghana?
The art scene in Ghana is promising. There are a lot of talented artists in Ghana. But there are not many galleries , museums or art magazines. There is a challenge to start this art industry and keep it running.
Born in Capecoast, Central region of Ghana in 1965, Betty Acquah lives and works in Accra, Ghana.
Her works are exhibited and collected worldwide. Her works can be viewed here:
