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In the wake of over fifty installments navigating the international Black diaspora, this represents a final column. The experience has been profoundly fulfilling, and sincere thanks extended to every one of the attentive audience.

Inside the Accra Festival

Attending the showcases, artworks and shows of Accra Cultural Week, observers witness how the finest art nourishes and builds a country’s history and character. The centrepiece was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which showcased his innovative afrogallonism for all to see: a approach that transforms plastic containers into captivating creations, tapestries of golden hues. The display was conceived as a homage to the strength of Jamestown, a historic quarter of Accra.

The community – predominantly inhabited by the Ga people, a community of fishermen – is furthermore where numerous returning Africans returned from Brazil and made their home in the 19th century. Known as the Tabom people, they carried with them Portuguese language and customs.

In every part of Jamestown, you can see a mix of architectural styles. You'll find Franklin House, featuring its distinct colonial-era masonry and arched doorways. Also present is the famous Jamestown Lighthouse, erected in the 1871 and subsequently featuring its signature banded exterior.

Customs of Mourning

Also notable about Jamestown is the ever-present presence of obituary announcements. Everywhere you turn, whether plastered over alleyways or on sizable billboards, you’ll see funeral details and phrases of mourning. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, memorial services are major community celebrations.

In Clottey’s spectacular show, the entirety of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are evoked – notably in the enveloping shoreline installation. Within it, one is relaxed by the sound of the sea with beach material underfoot, while shacks, hanging fishing nets and depictions of canoes pay homage to its dynamic, generational fishing community. But standing in this exhibition space, one cannot help but think of the piles of discarded clothing that mar the beauty and peace of the shoreline.

Apart from the Centrepiece

There is additional highlights. Within an unfinished structure at the campus, creator Sylvester presented a deeply moving minimalist collection, an profoundly affecting, minimalist exhibition that displayed three-dimensional works and artworks made in collaboration with welders.

And then there is the prestigious art award for Ghanaian women creators. It featured the debut presentation of a 2024 recipient, whose work references historical documents to craft a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a latest champion, whose varied work is intensely focused on the craft techniques of women in a specific region.

A Permanent Legacy

While the diaspora has more and more been pulled back to the region in the western winter, a growing cohort are considering journeying for the cultural season to immerse themselves in the region’s artistic calendar. Between Accra Cultural Week and regional art fairs, what you’ll find are cultural ecosystems that are not merely emerging or “upcoming” but have built up an whole universe that is here to stay.

Finally, the visit offers a image of Accra that serves as a declaration for conservation and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a resonant tribute to perseverance in all its manifestations.