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In the wake of more than fifty issues exploring the global Black diaspora, this marks a final piece. The journey proved incredibly rewarding, with sincere gratitude offered to every one of the engaged audience.

Exploring the Cultural Week

Experiencing the displays, installations and performances of this event, one sees how exceptional art feeds and builds a country’s heritage and essence. The highlight was without doubt Serge Attukwei Clottey’s stunning a profound exploration of ritual and time, which put his groundbreaking afrogallonism in full view: a approach that converts yellow jerrycans into mesmerizing works of art, mosaics of metallic tones. The display was created as a tribute to the strength of Jamestown, a historic neighbourhood of Accra.

The community – mainly populated by the Ga ethnic group, a fishing community – is furthermore where numerous freed slaves came back from South America and established themselves in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom community, they carried with them Brazilian tongue and culture.

All across Jamestown, one observes a mix of architectural styles. There’s a historic building, with its unique Portuguese construction and curved entrances. One can also see the famous Jamestown Lighthouse, constructed in the 1800s and later featuring its recognizable striped appearance.

Customs of Remembrance

Furthermore notable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of funeral posters. Wherever you look, be it covering buildings or on sizable billboards, there are service information and phrases of farewell. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, memorial services are major communal events.

In the artist's impressive exhibition, every aspect of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are evoked – especially in the enveloping beach-themed work. In this space, you’re soothed by the sound of crashing waves with granules on the floor, while shacks, nets and depictions of canoes celebrate its spirited, generational maritime community. Yet experiencing this gallery, the mind turns to the heaps of discarded clothing that threaten the beauty and peace of the shoreline.

In Addition to the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Inside an unfinished structure at the local university, creator Sylvester exhibited a deeply moving minimalist collection, an profoundly affecting, minimalist exhibition that featured three-dimensional works and canvases made in concert with artisans.

Also featured was the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for female Ghanaian artists. It included the inaugural exhibition of a recent recipient, whose work references familial archival records to create a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a latest winner, whose diverse work is deeply concerned with the weaving practices of women in the Volta region.

An Enduring Impact

While the diaspora has more and more been pulled back to Ghana during the western winter, a growing cohort are considering visiting for the cultural season to experience the region’s festival period. Between this festival and similar gatherings, what is evident are art scenes that are not simply nascent or “upcoming” but have forged an entire universe that is enduring.

In the end, the visit leaves one with a perception of Accra that feels like a manifesto for ecological stewardship and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a powerful homage to resilience in all its expressions.