5 Incredible Ghanaian Illustrators You Should Know
Did you know that there’s a vibrant community of Ghanaian illustrators putting out some truly stunning work?
At Leti Arts, we’re always on the look-out for talent, and we’re awed by the world-class work we’re seeing. Here’re five Ghanaian illustrators everyone should know about:
1) EL CARNA (facebook.com/elcarna.illustration)
Elkanah Kwadwo Mpesum (aka. El Carna) has a sensual, painterly style of illustration that makes every scene look like a poignant moment in a gripping story. We’re in love with his flowing lines and rich colours.
FOLLOW EL CARNA ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/elcarna.illustration
2) SETOR FIADZIBEY (setorfia.com)
Setor Fiadzibey draws people in such wonderful detail, you expect them to walk right off the page! Be sure to check out the five first pages of his graphic novel, Adrinka: The Legend of the Bearers. It’s hard to overstate how visually stunning this book is, and we can’t wait for Setor to be finished with it so we can learn more about the rich universe he has outlined!
CHECK OUT SETOR’S PORTFOLIO SITE: setorfia.com
3) THE BLACK NARRATOR (facebook.com/bnarrator)
With his single-panel caricatures of the major personalities of the day, the mysterious artist known only as The Black Illustrator has emerged as a powerful voice for Ghanaian popular opinion. Do you know who The Black Narrator is? Drop us a hint at hello@letiarts.com! We promise we can keep a secret. 😉
FOLLOW THE BLACK NARRATOR ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/bnarrator
FOLLOW THE BLACK NARRATOR ON TWITTER: twitter.com/BlackNarrator
DID YOU KNOW? Leti Arts has released an app for African digital comics and mobile games.
Our first title is The True Ananse – a modern retelling of the story of the West-African trickster god.
Get it from the Google Play store!
4) GYIMAH GARIBA (garibage.tumblr.com)
Born and raised in Ghana, Gyimah Gariba is an insanely talented recent art school grad who is currently making a name for himself from his base in Canada. Despite being away from home, Gyimah writes often how his childhood influenced his aesthetic. You can also see clear influences in his work from street fashion, graffiti, and hip hop. In 2011, Gyimah made waves on the internet with his Watch the Throne project, where he turned every song on Jay-Z’s album of the same name into gorgeous illustrations. As you might have realized, we’re very excited by this young artist, and we’re eager to see what he does next.
FOLLOW GYIMAH ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/pages/Gyimah-Gariba/126439264110018
FOLLOW GYIMAH ON BLOGSPOT: ggariba.blogspot.com
FOLLOW GYIMAH ON TUMBLR: garibage.tumblr.com
FOLLOW GYIMAH ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/GYIMAHG
FOLLOW GYIMAG ON TWITTER: twitter.com/GYIMAHG
5) HANSON AKATTI (behance.net/hansonakatti)
We’re big fans of Hanson Akatti’s airbrush-like illustration style and the way his human forms manage to be both cartoony as well as pseudorealistic.
FOLLOW HANSON ON BEHANCE: behance.net/hansonakatti
WHO DID WE MISS?
This was by no means a comprehensive list. Is there an Ghanaian illustrator out there who deserves greater exposure for their excellent work? Let us know in the comments, or shoot us an email at hello@letiarts.com!
ABOUT LETI ARTS
Leti Arts is bringing Africa’s rich mythology to life through comics and mobile games. We just launched our first title, a digital comic called The True Ananse. Get it now from the Google Play store by downloading the Leti Center app.
