March 1, 2011 - 10:12pm
GalleryCAAS hosts Ghanaian painter Atta Kwami
BY LEAH BURGIN
When students pass through the squeaky halls of the behemoth Mason/Angell/Haven/Tisch complex, few may realize that, within a small, unassuming classroom space hangs the work of internationally acclaimed artist Atta Kwami.
Sitting on the floor of GalleryCAAS — the new gallery for the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies located in Haven Hall G648 — with fellow students in my anthropology class "The Arts in Anthropological Perspective," we turned our head from technicolor canvas to technicolor canvas while Kwami unraveled the story behind each of his works. He revealed that one of my favorite pieces in the exhibit, titled Kumbungu, represented the view travelers can see out of an airplane window while the plane is landing or taking off. Diagonal lines form triangles of bold colors which mirror the patchwork nature of landscape when seen from that height.
The Ghana native, who describes his art in the exhibit pamphlet as "schematic," or "like a map, or rather a reaction to or interpretation of a map," expresses himself through the mediums of paint and printing. His paintings are comprised of angular, brightly hued shapes of deep reds, blues, yellows, greens and blacks contrasting with milky, opaque strips of white. It's not hard to see how Kwami gains inspiration from textiles and other traditional Ghanaian art forms, like wall paintings that adorn adobe structures.
It was an uncommon experience to be in the same room as art and artist; too often I find myself forgetting that art is alive and constantly interpretable. I can never walk through galleries with Van Gogh or O'Keefe, but I can still play the "what would they say if they were here with me?" game or try to discover a meaning behind each canvas. Kwami, as a living artist, presented a structure for interpreting his art, but left room for personal attachment and understanding.
In any case, don't take my word for it. The exhibit, "Susuka: Paintings and Prints," will be open until Feb. 25, 2011. Stop by before or after class, it's well worth the visit.
