Kwesi Botchway

Kwesi Botchway (born 1994) is a Ghanaian artist. Quotes For me, purple is a great color, and the color black as well. Putting them together for me is very spiritual, because when you look at my work, this is me attempting to elevate the Black body When we talk about immigrants in the Western world being combated, for instance within my work, I try to project the oneness of the African diaspora and the Black Americans as well because I feel like we all came from the same place Whether one lives in Europe, America or Ghana, even in Africa, I believe if Black people cherish Africa a lot, they won’t be worried about staying in Africa or coming back home regardless We just have to make Africa a better place for us all because that’s the only place Black people can operate and be ourselves fully Africa is a home, and it’s not a place to run from The art world is a free world where every artist is allowed to express themselves through any art form Due to our past with slavery, our people have been through an inferiority complex, so depiction of ourselves and our lifestyle is a true way of uplifting and connecting to ourselves Black representation is very important Time unfolds great times when it’s time for things to mature and get on the scene. There will always be some sort of discrimination Very creative sector needs support to build its own industry A Conversation with Kwesi Botchway on Color Theory and African Contemporary Art 5 March 2025 Colors, are like emotions, when you look at them, they kind of impose their emotions to you, depending on how you also feel My focus was actually to elevate the Black body because of the microaggressions I’ve experienced towards people with dark skin In Africa, we have names that we call people with darker skins and all that and I feel like this is what pulls people into skin bleaching you can't be in a country where it's full of sun and you want to bleach your skin I feel like it's better to create a visual perception that would change the mindset or bring understanding to them to know that okay, this is the reason why I have dark skin, I need to cherish it, because that's all I have Blackness, to me, is a collective of people who are descendants from Africa A lot of people here in Africa don't really even see like slavery as a thing I'm trying to let them see how superior we are as people I'm not saying other races are not superior, you know, but I feel like we, as people have really looked down so much upon us In Africa, we we don't have much education on the art market I believe we don't have better structures for creatives in Africa The country can't function without creative people I feel like Africa, we are losing it and we are losing our culture. We are losing our everything Kwesi Botchway: Creating Art, Creating Community 23 May 2024 I’m more focused on the human face, I believe that is where our souls display their emotions As far as I’m a black artist I need to be involved. As a black youth you have to be very cautious because of the situation we are in right now I want to put black people in this state, to see themselves as not normal human beings but something more powerful, because you know for me I feel like black is the presence of everything In conversation with Kwezi Botchway n.d Write your goal down When you are truly passionate about something, your commitment and determination know no bounds Ghanaian Artist, Kwesi Botchway on Establishing WORLDFAZE—Art Studio and Residency Space in Ghana 8 March 2024 Category:1994 births Category:Living people