Two Ghanaian Artists Exhibit In Athens
July 2004

Two Ghanaian artists Owusu Ankomah and Akweley Suma Glory together with the Italian artist Virginia Ryan (who is resident in Ghana) have been selected to participate in an exhibition in the Greek capital Athens. The three will represent Ghana at ARTIADE - an Olympics of Visual Arts which is held parallel to the Olympic Games anytime it takes place. Owusu Ankomah, who is currently based in Dusseldorf, Germany, will exhibit paintings while Suma Glory and Virginia Ryan will showcase paintings/installations and photos/installations respectively.

A total of 172 artists from 78 countries out of 4,500 entries from 200 countries have been selected to participate in the 2004 edition of ARTIADE, which will take place in various locations in Athens from August 12 to September 29, 2004.
 
Countries participating the exhibition include Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Chile, Peoples Republic of China, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan and Korea. Others are Latvia, Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States. African countries who will make a bold appearance are Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Morocco, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Ghana.

ARTIADE 2004 will document a harmonious meeting of nations using art as a means of communication owing to an ever increasing need to find a cultural counter balance and a sense of transparency in the face of increasing commercialisation of the Olympic Games. Consequently, every Olympic nation will not only send athletes but also its artists who will definitely reflect the cultural identity of their various countries. Through the medium of art, ARTIADE will emphasise the positive, unifying nature of the Olympics while vividly revealing the original meaning and purpose of the Olympics.
Works by Owusu Ankomah, who is also the brother of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Papa Owusu Ankomah have their strength in symbolic patterns which he uses to create realist images. With Ankomah, human figures in the form of macho men emerge as moving outlines in patterned fields.

Akweley Suma Glory, who recently won an award in Togo, has over the past years been creating waves with thought provoking installations and paintings that are realised through earth colours and the incorporation of beads, jute sacks and other materials.

Ryan, who is also the wife of the Italian Ambassador in Accra, simultaneously takes a swipe at the ugly tatters of the past and present by collecting discarded materials from beaches in Ghana and providing them with a new charm. Her works possess an extraordinary charm and power that capture the viewer at first glance.

ARTIADE, which first took place in the US city of Atlanta during the XXVI Olympic Games in 1996, has grown in strength while largely achieving its purpose of presenting artworks that manifest and reflect diverse cultures. As a Cultural Foundation, ARTIADE exists to promote the arts throughout the world in a spirit of international harmony with a basic aim of staging the Olympic Exhibition.

ARTIADE is a registered cultural organisation based in Germany. It is supported by a number of prominent figures including the Federal President Johannes Rau.

Source: GRAPHIC 2004