Ataa Oko: drawings 2005

An 86-year old carpenter sketches his former figurative coffins

In 2005, the now 86-year-old Ataa Oko began to draw regularly, and he made fast progress. Since Regula Tschumi was concerned with the history of figurative coffins at that time, she asked the former coffin-maker to sketch her his coffins. So in the course of this year Ataa Oko made from his memory numerous colour sketches of figurative coffins, many of them in the shape of old fashioned cars or carpentry working tools.

Sketches from 2005:
Colour pencil on paper
14.7 x 21 cm

More about these early drawings: intervoven

Coffin miniatures

Before Paa Joe moved in 2008 from Nungua to Pombiman, coffin miniatures were only made in his studio by his apprentices. They were allowed to sell their pieces to tourists so that they got some pocket money.

Ghana

A coffin for the Centre Pompidou

The artist Saâdane Afif ordered a coffin in the shape of the Centre Pompidou.

Ghana

«Africa Pulps»

The first group of «Africa Pulps» was created in 2007 after the artist M.S. Bastian had seen some of Kudjoe Affutu’s miniature coffins in the Art Museum Berne.

Ghana

Coffin statuettes

Paa Joe is a master of carving and his coffin statuettes are outstanding.

Nungua, Ghana

4 coffins for Venice

In 2009 Regula Tschumi commissioned for the Biennale Off in Venice four exceptional figurative coffins.

Switzerland

Ataa Oko: drawings 2005

As a former coffin maker, Ataa Oko initially sketched his former figurative works from memory.

Ataa Oko: drawings from 2002 to 2004

When Regula Tschumi met Ataa Oko in 2002 in Ghana, he was a 83 years old retired carpenter and figurative coffin artist.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2006

Ataa Oko now started to draw not only figurative coffins but also figurative palanquins that he had seen when he was a young man.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2007

In the course of this year, Ataa Oko started to draw religious rites and human beings.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2008

In 2008 Ataa Oko began to draw a new kind of spiritual beings, and his works now filled with strong colours.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2009

In 2009 Ataa Oko transformed his figurative palanquins and coffins into spiritual beings.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2010

2010 was a turning point in Ataa Oko’s life, and this was also reflected in his drawings.

Ataa Oko: World Cup 2010

When the World Cup in Ghana took place, Ataa Oko documented the events of every day with his drawings.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2011

Well over 90 years old, Ataa Oko was still drawing almost every day, but the colouring was now left to his son Kofi.

Ataa Oko: drawings 2012

In his last years, Ataa Oko worked closely with his son Kofi, who now painted his drawings with bright colours.

Ataa Oko: uncoloured drawings 2012

When Ataa Oko was 93 years old, he had no more strength to colour his big sketches.

Coffins for the Art Museum Berne

For the exhibition «Six Feet Under» in the Art Museum Berne Regula Tschumi worked with the coffin artists Paa Joe and Ataa Oko.

Switzerland

Elections in Ghana

Several movie painters were documenting the Ghanaian presidential elections in 2012 and 2016.

Ghana

Ghanaian movie posters

Hand-painted movie posters from Ghana are gaining increasing attention in the international art market.

Ghana

Exhibition poster «Hors-Champs»

On behalf of the Musée d’ethnographie Neuchâtel, Regula Tschumi developed the exhibition poster for «Hors-Champs» with several Ghanaian movie painters.

Ghana