The Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture, Mr. Wakefield Ackuaku, and a team has paid a courtesy visit to the Nkyinkyim Museum in Nuhalenya-Ada Foah, in the Greater Accra Region.
The visit aimed to engage with Ghanaian multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and founder of the Ancestor Project, Kwame Akoto-Bamfo to gain insight into his work and the vision behind the museum.
According to Mr. Bamfo, he began his artistic journey in 2007 by sculpting terracotta heads to commemorate Africans affected by slavery and colonialism, and by 2009, his work evolved into a conscious effort to archive oral histories and traditions through sculpture, forming the foundation of the Nkyinkyim Installation, a living monument preserving African heritage, memory, and resistance.
He added that the installation gained public attention in 2017 during the Fauxreedom exhibition, which served as a thought-provoking commentary on Ghana’s 60th independence celebration. The sculptures invited viewers to reflect on the enduring impact of slavery and the meaning of true freedom.
He explained that a typical tour of the museum lasts approximately one hour and thirty minutes and is led by griots rather than traditional tour guides.
These griots are trained cultural custodians who use oral storytelling, symbolism, and ritual practices to interpret the sculptures and their significance thereby bridging the gap between the past and the present, he added.
Mr. Bamfo revealed that the museum welcomes people from diverse religious backgrounds, many of whom leave with a renewed appreciation for Ghanaian culture and a broader respect for different beliefs and traditions.
The Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture, Mr. Wakefield Ackuaku in appreciation remarks lauded Mr. Akoto Bamfo for such creative initiative towards the promotion of Ghanaian Culture and traditions.
He emphasized that artists like Akoto-Bamfo should be leading voices in telling Ghana’s story to the world and proposed the creation of a spiritual cultural display space at the airport, for which Akoto-Bamfo expressed his willingness to assist with the installation.
Mr. Ackuaku suggested that Akoto-Bamfo’s compelling narrative could be effectively shared through films.
The visit concluded with a mutual commitment to strengthening future collaboration between the NCC and the Nkyinkyim Museum.
