A celebrated sculptor, Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, has said Ghana stands to lose its history and identity if historical sites and museums are not revived.
She noted that in times past, Ghanaians had a great sense of appreciation for culture and this was reflective in the development of pieces like the Adinkra symbols. However, she has expressed worry that the future generation may lose their identity if urgent steps are not taken.
“There was a lot of design and art back then but we lost it somewhere along the line; we lost it,” she told Kwaku Sakyi-Addo on The Lounge.
“We don’t even have museums, we don’t have national galleries yet when I travel, the first thing that I do is to buy a ticket to visit a museum or a gallery, but we do not have that here and so young kids are growing up and not seeing anything. There is nothing being preserved and I think that is the missing link,” Swaniker added.
Swaniker, who has exhibited her work around the world including Germany, Nigeria and recently in Paris to mark this year’s International Women’s Day under the auspices of UNESCO, urged government to step in and salvage the situation.
“I think government should take it upon itself to revive our museums – the few that we have, the few historical sites that we have and attach the importance to our heritage and also commission works from local artists,” she explained.
She was of the view that when people begin to see “beautiful things,” the appreciation for art would also grow.
According to her, neighboring Nigeria is raking in a lot of money from the art industry due to the country’s appreciation for art which results in regular arts exhibitions from artists from within and outside the country.
‘The Lounge’ with Kwaku Sakyi-Addo airs live on Starr FM every Friday from 7pm to 8pm and on GHOne TV on Sundays from 8pm to 9pm.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
