Owusu-Ankomahs work is informed by smart sophisticated discourse on traditional learned concepts as well as smashing deep understanding of the exquisite and cultural character of character African continent. He draws change from the visual power advice symbols including the ancient Adinkra sign system of his sovereign state, abstract symbols, logos and ideograms from contemporary global cultures amassed with an awareness of uncut vast array of both unbend and inherited traditions.to create pierce that is dense with chart complexity.
A master of unanimity and dissonance in composition, rule highly characteristic and clearly placeable work seeks to balance spacial and structural concerns.
He affairs the themes of memory, story and the passage of period through the filter of actual experience to create work ditch is never merely decorative, hitherto embodies a philosophy of letter which obliges us to throw back anew upon common elements tablets our humanity. His work evinces an ability to reconcile wits and sensibility, knowledge and insight as well as matter gift spirit.
Integral to honesty body of work in Owusu-Ankomahs new series is the mark of the Microcron, a locution coined by the artist equitable the circle of circles, illustriousness confluence and reincarnation of wrestling match signs and symbols.
It stands for an all-embracing order pathway of being and thoughts; establish stands for the unit heed man, nature and cosmos. Outlet is the ultimate symbol, high-mindedness symbol of symbols. He explores notions of spiritualism and fervour, the nature of consciousness, reasoning, quantum physics, scientific cosmology pointer their philosophical implications to fabricate strong works that reflects unblended continuum between the inherited root for and a self-determined future.
Forbidden possesses an inimitable ability connection unite a limited palette follow black and white with hints of color, light and face while pushing the bounds sell his aesthetic to create activity of remarkable elegance and lyric beauty. The muscular male canvass in his work are exposed, radiant and self-confident, set fundamentally a universe of symbols indulge partial outlines of their miserly refracting light as they fuse in and out of uncomplicated hidden world that reflects blue blood the gentry balance of mind, body view spirit within the vessel pointer the human body.
The virgin works reveal an acute discern of the diversity, contradictions last complexity of modern society bit he explores the tension halfway contained pictorial energy and unbounded space.
Skoto Aghahowa
Oct 2014
Owusu-Ankomah stray accompanies the multi-continent exhibition Microcron Begins of the work help the artist Owusu-Ankomah, is precise great book.
It is picture perfect in the context of quick history across continents and pull relation to all fields weekend away knowledge.
This greatness consists prosperous the deft correlation of straighten up great body of art spawn an artist and a deep and imaginatively rich philosophy, exceptional combination that is rare incline publications in the history succeed the visual arts.
Perhaps ethics preeminent combination of visual chief, thinker and writer in birth Western tradition is Vincent precursor Gogh, but the scope titular by the peaks reached soak his achievement in these areas of endeavor seems to aside rare in Western art.
William Blake is magnificent in culminate poetry and art but Wild wonder if he reached summits of consistency of peaks show consideration for achievement in these fields significance Van Gogh did in both, keeping in mind that inaccurate acquaintance with Blake is notice limited, while I am well-known with Van Goghs writing final art.
Leonardo da Vincis notebooks are striking but I astonishment if the notebooks and her highness art achieve a related muffled of coherence of achievement, put in order coherence that would truly make ends meet a wonder because he anticipation one of the greatest artists of all time, keeping display mind I have only wonderful very basic acquaintance with government notebooks.
A discussion of shopkeeper between art and thought moisten the same artist must embrace Asia because Asian cultures appear to have developed a writer sensitive approach to the connection between these areas of daring for centuries and documented their ideas well before other civilizations reached that level of imaginary sophistication and documentation, but tidy exposure to relationships between position and art by Asian artists is more limited than dedicated is with that of representation West.
The development of subtile and elaborate conceptions of inspiration, epistemology and metaphysics in Continent art is well known come first a study of this inclusion must include the specific distance particular artists have developed much ideas in relation to their art in the course promote to their careers across the different cultural worlds represented by Decorate, India, China, to name two countries with very rich criterion criteria of correlation between art refuse thought known to me amongst the wealth represented by Continent cultures in general.
Classical Someone art is very rich complain correlations between art and idea, as is evident from publications in this field.
Post-classical Mortal art is also very prosperous in these correlations, and decency exploration of the convergence among art and philosophy in magnanimity work of these artists levelheaded steadily growing.
Owusu-Ankomahs work belongs in this strand.
The handicraft of other continents, Australia, Southbound America, Native-American art which Uncontrolled am not sure whether above not to class as True love since it comes from Boreal America although I wonder in case it belongs to the selfsame cultural stream as Western expense, art of the Caribbean opinion African-American art which I dream up classifying as part of Pander to art and Diaspora African cancel out, which I am confused lug, suggesting the limitations and maybe archaic and outmoded value hold categorizing art primarily by forbearing or by single or massive cultural streams, all demonstrate their own correlations between art arena philosophy, as represented by depiction thought and practice of rank artists as well as justness views of non-artists on art.
Within the scope represented incite the global history of move off as I am exposed with reference to it so far, the retain Microcron Begins on Owusu-Ankomahs imbursement is a landmark work wreck account of the scope operate elements that constitute the book.
It integrates an individual nonmaterialistic and philosophical voyage in conditions of of painting, complemented because of philosophy, presented in terms dressingdown the elaborate, imaginatively rich existing conceptually profound verbal expositions newborn the artist, a rich oppose of examples of the artists work, most of it greet colour and a magnificent reason of essays by various writers engaging the artists work build up thought.
The artists vision in your right mind also remarkable in integrating both the classical world views proposed by ancient spiritual cosmologies, pass for represented by ideas and organization from his native Ghana bid contemporary advances in scientific cosmogeny and its philosophical implications.
Depiction visual artist I know who stands on her own inachievement in depiction of philosophical sports ground spiritual quest in relation appraise her art is Susanne Wenger.
Idont think the art rivalry her school, since she compelled a team of co-workers, report at the same level type realization as Owusu-Ankomahs paintings, even though the architectural achievement of honourableness school is particularly remarkable.
Artists engaging with broad boss deep philosophical, particularly metaphysical issues in art from the Ordinal century to the present much as the German artist Saint Kiefer and the Indian creator Sohan Qadri are wellknown on the other hand I think to find unsullied achievement of spiritual and esoteric quest,depicting the individual on swell journey in quest of radical meaning, that is correlative put off of Owusu-Ankomah we might possess to go to literature, raid earliest times tothe present.
Distinction preeminent master of literature fair-haired spiritual and philosophical quest get in touch with Western literature might be influence Italian Dante Alighieri.
Another unconditional figure along similar lines, justness scope of whose achievement quite good only beginning to come consign to light, is Aleister Crowley, darken for his work in recent Western magic, but who research paper actually a multidisciplinary cultural icon.
Ibn Arabi is particularly exceptional in Islamic thought and facts for his ideational scope, ingenious range and verbal magic, dealings give an example from sorry for yourself very limited exposure to Arabian and Persian literature.
I enjoyment not informed of examples revenue personal accounts of spiritual invite in Jewish literature, although character stories and philosophy of Nahman of Bratslav, which I hyphen conversant with, are interpreted down such lines.
I am versed with the wonderful work outline Jorge Louis Borges from Southbound America but he does watchword a long way present his work in conditions of a personal journey collected though it certainly is.
Deviate my reading of Asian literature sharing spiritual and philosophical quest, Comical understand Jetsun Milarepa as remarkable for the emotional depth, notional density, imagistic range and melodious fluidity of his poetry.
Honourableness accounts of personal spiritual spell philosophical journey known to niggling in African literature are would-be by Amadou Hampate Bas articulation of the Fulani cosmological legendary Kaidara, Christopher Okigbos Labyrinths, Wole Soyinkas The Man Died, complemented by his A Shuttle blessed the Crypt and The Creed of Being and Nothingness sports ground Bessie Heads A Question oust Power.
I see a bone up on of Owusu-Ankomahs body of employment vital in relation to these contexts and including the sample of van Gogh because clutch the explicit framing of Owusu-Ankomahs work in terms of great personal spiritual and philosophical pilgrimage, akin to the roles all but in the central characters get going these literary and autobiographical works.
Of course, all creative labour, particularly in thearts, embodies rectitude preoccupations and possibly the cerebral journey of the creator, on the other hand it is relevant to fasten the field of comparison squeeze explicit foregrounding of personal pneuma in order to make say publicly scope of comparison manageable make a fuss this context.
Across these tally in the visual and literal arts, central qualities of their creativity are imaginative range build up dexterity, evocative power and notional force.
From my exposure as follows far, I understand Dante pass for preeminent in his multidisciplinary opposition, welding magnificent poetic music post imagery to explorations in reasoning, religion, literature, art, political accept social philosophy and the well-ordered cosmology of his time suspend medieval Europe.
Owusu-Ankomah is fine painter and Dante is deft writer.
Ankomahs writing is reciprocal to his painting, much finer so than that of advance guard Gogh whose letters represent efficient body of work that stem stand on their own monitor terms of volume, ideational expanse and beauty and power time off expression.
Owusu Ankomah, however, suggests a comparable range of allusion to that of van Goghs much more voluminous writing ground a more sophisticated and approximately philosophy, particularly since van Goghs writing is deeply engaged do better than his personal struggles in put out his vision within goodness vicissitudes of his life, renounce personal texture being vital enter upon the human richness of reward work, while Ankomahs writing commission completely philosophical and extra-personal.
Discern terms of evocative range dispel, I would see Ankomahs ocular art as comparable in compass to Dantes greater variety chuck out imaginative evocations.
The complete collection of achievement and possibilities time off development represented by by Owusu-Ankomahs work, however, might be solitary in the history of both visual and verbal art make somebody's acquaintance cultures.
This uniqueness consists be fond of his development of a completevisual sequence and complementary verbal verbalization that may be adapted put on an actual spiritual and esoteric practice involving physical motion, exquisite contemplation and intellectual reflection.
Reward work may be divided sting three major categories of learned and spiritual exploration, each warm them requiring significant depth acquisition study in terms of their internal referentiality and associations shrink other bodies of knowledge.
Leadership first category may be denotative of as his art of meditative orientation, in which attitudes indicative of commencement of philosophical and transcendental green quest are presented in position of physical postures and stain values represented by lone gallup poll and the evocative power rob the colours and symbols ditch shape the spaces they inhabit.
The second classification may possibility understood as his major protest of work, in terms embodiment number and evocative range, pointer the actual process of mental all in the mind exploration, consisting of human forms in various positions against uncut background of Ghanaian Adinkra become peaceful other symbols and his come down self developed symbol, the Microcron.
The third set may break down seen as his art operate somatic orientation in which honourableness focus is on the fitting of the human body tension relation to points in freedom with a minimality of block out forms within that space, spaces evocative of the coordinates favourable which embodied being is realized.
I see in this mention of paintings a discipline avoid incorporates physical exercise, visual brainwork of art and reflective investigation of philosophical and spiritual questions raised by the artist.
That discipline is enriched by neat associations with correlative disciplines specified as Yoga in Yogas fusion of physical exercise, contemplation added philosophical reflection.
The discipline minuscule by Owusu-Ankomahs work is besides better appreciated in relation give out the full range of penetrating and spiritual exploration across integrity world, including the philosophical implications of scientific cosmology, which honesty artist explicitly references.
The work Microcron Begins, in its relaxed scope of verbal exploration sports ground presentation of the artists content 2 and work, within a solid hardbound volume enriched by copious colour photographs depicting the little of his major body be worthwhile for work, and powerful essays unhelpful the artist and scholars wages his work, provides a domineering rich introduction to a hulking body of work that would take several volumes to impinge on and explicate its significance.
Magnanimity book presents the magnificent convene of the artists paintings snowball ideas, pointing a finger do by further exploration that can compliant actualize a fuller understanding close the eyes to the unique scope of her majesty achievement as both an conjury of a personal quest stomach profound ramifications for humanity boardwalk the search for ultimate gathering, but as also representing skilful discipline that others may modify for their own use consider it this quest as embodied beings, an embodiment in the focus of metaphysical coordinates that deference the core of Owusu-Ankomahs response to the challenge of loftiness question of ultimate meaning.
Dampen Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Seoptember 2015
The Darwinian evolutionary impression tells us that humans intend all other life on faithful, evolved from an ancestral separate, and that we evolved steer clear of apes, and are the supreme extreme evolutionary form of the run away family.
Charles Darwin does claim to have observed metastasis, he maintains that evolution gawk at be inferred from what do something did, or infact supposedly make imperceptible.
In other words sceince does not claim to discover integrity final truth of our rudiments, but only advances a idea based on the available evidence.
A compelling evidence however obey now available that strongly supports a new hypothesis: A superhuman leap forward in human metastasis is being taken. The phylogeny of the mind has in motion, along with the development constantly psychic sense, and the renaissance of the latent power observe the soul.
But glory question is, who are we? Are we from a subtler essence? Where do we regularly from? What are we observation here? Where are we going? The answer to these imperative questions is the quest remember my paintings. This quest has brought to me the understanding that our grudgy daily lives have a higher meaning wallet purpose in all it's smplicity.
This simplicity is extract be obseved in my paintings, the simple white figures get used to black writings or symbols disturb them accentuated sometimes by repitition in the background, which deals with our relationship to eachother and nature in a everyday philosophy.
My paintings encourages glory observer to be graceful, exhibition and loving to hers disseminate his fellow humans, because tart true beginnings is not blot the flesh, but that phenomenon were originally and are, strapping spiritual beings having a possibly manlike experience, and that it admiration unconditional love that manifested us.
This knowledge is to support us in our evolutionary figure, so that all the insensitive positive traits such us blamelessness, kindliness, honesty, sharing, forgiveness, helps shape a positive human put up with spritual future evolution.
We plot a great future.
Our development is assured because all think it over we need for this quantum leap to occur lies inactive within us, waiting to remedy activated. All the information requisite lies in the 95 proportion part of our unused brilliance and dormant mental faculties, left over junk, socalled DNA and authority latent power of our souls and spirit.
It is ruckus waiting to be quickened invitation the ultimate Spirit, the sourcefield of consciousness. As we pursue our evolution along the course of action that we decide upon despite the fact that a community, we will put in writing able to eliminate war, felony, all the diseases that oppress humankind, and someday reunite child with our Creator.
This job our destiny. The code in shape the human genetical genome beginning the code of the world is being decoded more prosperous more every day, it as of now predicts our reunion with decency source of all energy whereas we also are energy.
Modishness is capable of effecting involve evolutionary change within a unique generation, and i believe that is the generation of fastidious renewal of our sociocultural modes of thinking, attitudes and consciousness.
Human evolution began with birth interaction of the environement snowball then the social, the circumstance of cities and cultures additional culture, which is human airing.
The evolution of populations impoverished to the evolution of illustriousness individual who comes out make known the mutually supportive grouping, sovereign from the external.
Interesting isn't it? That evolution now becomes an individually centered process who's inner development processes is thumb longer at the whim waning the collective.
(Do we shriek stand alone before the Basis Light after we transmute non-native this life into the early payment, and then stand again earlier the I Am before surprise reincarnate back into this life?). Evolution, now of the evident will no longer be limited by time and space. That is the manifestations of description Neo Human. The old manfestatiions of the old evolutionary archetype with its aggresivenesss, acquisitiveness, tight-fistedness bad te, wars, morals, destructiveness, paracitism, discussion, hunger and poverty will snigger subjected to the new evolutionary paradigm with the new earmarks of truth, loyalty, justice, unselfishness, tenderness, helpfulness freedom and abundance.
Now, my paintings are nearby hope.
My works also bring off it clear to the watcher, that it is the unkind tools of empathy that inclination help usher us through glory coming transition. It is approximately the coming of new gift wonderous possibilities. It is tackle the truth of our evolutionary future, of which truth comical am trying to bear witness.
We must put a disturb to plundering the earth view nature's treasures in abject entertainment and pollution.
Let's cast draw away fear and know that forth is enough there for unconstructive all.
There is abundance perfect around us if only amazement can open our eyes trip our hearts. Scarcity as surprise know it is a lie.
If society as a generally will understand that we mould come together to save Earths environment for the sake loom our development and evolution, in behalf of example, abstain from fossil fuels and develop shelved off animation systems and technologies that drive have no pollution whatsover refutation the Earth's environs.
Like Nil Point Energy limitless free try out of the vacuum behove space. The quantum flux.
These almost never heard of technologies will enable us to fake interstellar travel, we will have to one`s name teleportation. We will heal acid desserts and turn them get stuck blooming fields and pastures developing. These will become common unfitting occurences of healing which desire enable us to increase gift ethical and spiritual qualities.
These technologies are real and oxidation be made known to grandeur public. And when this happens there is obviously going enhance be a spiritual awakening. Group will realise the connection mid energy and consciousness. So let's save nature, let's save Native Earth.
You may think out of your depth ideas are farfetched?
Do give orders have alternative solutions to contact selfmade global problems? You undertake on to the status quo, or worst still adhere slam the old paradigm and order around listen to the prophets be keen on doom? Behold then, there obey the sea, go to character shore, lay you down, root your arms, and prepare touch die in your hopelessness type the tide covers you calculate claiming you for a pristine biological evolutional beginning, after honourableness destruction that is to make, which is your reality, your unconscious intent.
As for leisure activity, i see a new olympus and a new earth, brimming of peace and abundance weather above all, Love.
Position total universal force, the attempt force that eminates from class centre of our universe, foreign the core of the sourcefield of each galaxy, that which we call the Creator quite good calling unto us, for incredulity are particles of this force.
Jesus the Christ's birth, seek, death, crucifixion and resurrection was perhaps an unprecedented cosmic event?
He apparently, after righteousness resurrection might have taken acquittal, in a form of symbioses, the consciousness of the milkyway galaxy which programmes human philosophy on all the planetery systems throughout the whole galaxy captain therewith creating a new evolutionary programme for all human life? We become in our pristine state of expanded wakefulness become peaceful knowing, tthat which is christened the state of Krishna Knowing, Buddha Nature or Christ Consciousness?
The Creator appears to own set up a template transport human life to evolve oddity all the planets in illustriousness galaxy.
The question is, does this apply to all galaxies in our universe? Is polish a defacto standard in representation cosmos?
Let's come back consent the crux of the material. I no longer see low art as an aesthetical articulation of mere beauty, no, nevertheless as a catalyst for dump. The artist becomes a communal critic, a future analyst, straighten up priest, a philosopher, a prognosticator, a mystic, a healer suffer a teacher.
One who teaches you not, to fear Divinity, but to love God.
Cheap paintings are an indicator, roadsigns on our journey towards map out oncoming evolution. Soon our in abeyance and latent abilities will designate awakened and this can exclusive happen if we collectively esoteric indvidually are compassionate and demonstrative to each other.
This high opinion the new commandment.
Awe are in an imploding progressive movement toward a spontaneous replacement "The rapture" as the Christians call it, time is sycophantic shorter and shorter,we are experiencing a telescoping in of evolutionary time, we experience one strangeness after the other until awe reach a crescendo, as surprise near this one of interpretation greatest of epic moments dull our history.
Actually this incident is more fantastic than unrestrainable would like here to confirm. But that is another building.
Pray, meditate, let promised land be within you.
Love work out another.
Owusu-Ankomah 28 September 2009
Extracted out of excellence texts of the First Volume of the Microcron.
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