Not only tools, but images too can break silence. And that’s how Kendall Nkrumah defines his craft, which involves the use of charcoal to reproduce images of prominent and not so prominent persons, both home and abroad.
From late South African anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, US President Barack Obama, Chelsea’s football coach Jose Mourinho, as well as the ordinary chap walking down the streets of the capital, Accra. He’s drawn all these images.
Come this Friday 18 December, 2015 and with support from the World Bank and Healthlife Beverages and Market Direct, Kendall will, for the second time, outdoor selected works from the many paintings he’s done over the years. A former student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kendall opted to study Fine Art though he was initially offered a position in the Publishing with “focus on Design and Illustration in the Second year.”
He said the decision to pick Fine Art was to get closer to something that he’s passionate about: “Somewhere around 2006, i chanced on Charcoal Drawing on Google and i immediately fell in love. With the choice finally made, i went to work. I totally let go of everything i knew about Art and started from the scratch. A lot of research was made into the materials of the trade.
“I had to carve a style that would always be different from what others knew. I had to use the best of materials, as it was important that would-be clients felt confident not only in the work I was doing, but also knowing that the pieces could be with them for over 100 years.”
Kendall says the ultimate goal is to be involved in skills transfer, where equally creative artists get the needed assistance to enable them follow their dream. The other end is also to change the misconception people have about the art and artists, though he acknowledges the enormity of the challenges before most of his colleagues.
“The challenges are grand, as with every endeavour, especially in a country where Art is appreciated by the Elite. The joy is knowing that someone out there is smiling because what you did with Charcoal has blessed a soul.”
A former student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he will outdoor
Art comes to the family naturally. I was quite timid as a kid, i kept to myself and had very little confidence. I took to drawing very early and it became a means of expressing how i felt inside. When people applauded me, i always knew i had touched their hearts. I knew that i had to make an impact on people, i just didn’t know how. By the time i left JSS, i knew i was going to pursue a career in Art, so i took the drawing lessons seriously.
The preferred course at KNUST should have been Fine Art, but Fate would have a different mindset. Publishing was my option, with a focus on Design and Illustration in the Second year.
Most of my colleagues sought refuge in other fields, as it was soon clear that Publishing wasn’t going to serve us well. i tried the bank and other design outlets, but i wasn’t fulfilled, so i started drawing seriously again.
My challenge was to choose the one thing that i would be totally passionate about and also serve to touch others. Somewhere around 2006, i chanced on Charcoal Drawing on Google and i immediately fell in love.
With the choice finally made, i went to work. I totally let go of everything i knew about Art and started from the scratch. A lot of research was made into the materials of the trade.
Secondly, i had to carve a style that would always be different from what others knew. I had to use the best of materials, as it was important that would-be clients felt confident not only in the work i was doing, but also knowing that the pieces could be with them for over 100 years.
In search of a unique identity and also improve on my work, i travelled a lot, especially to Asia, as i found the Asians to be more expressive, with a style of illustrating that appealed to me immensely.