Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop
Encyclopedia
The Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop is a studio established in Teshie
, Ghana
, since the Fifties. It is known for its Design Coffins that became symbolic of African artistic creativity.
, in the suburbs of Accra
in Ghana
. He is considered as the inventor at the beginning of 1950s of the design coffin
s or fantasy coffins, called Abebuu adekai (" boxes with proverbs ") by Ga people
that is the dominant ethnic group of the region of Accra.
The use of these coffins during the burial in Ga country became widespread from the beginning 1960s, becoming de facto a real tradition. Design coffins are acknowledged as symbolic of the contemporary creation in Africa.
At the death of Kane Kwei, his son Sowah took over the workshop, then Cedi - junior child of Kane Kwei- after the death of Sowah in 1999. Since 2005, Eric Adjetey Anang
(born 1985, son of Cedi) attempts to revitalize the creativity of the studio by the introduction of new models, the creation of furniture realized in the same spirit and with the same techniques as the coffins.
About ten carpenter's workshops established in Teshie and in the region of Accra produce similar coffins. Among them, we find Tei in Dorwanya, Lay and Hello in Teshie, Tetteh in Amasaman and Tetteh Red in Ningo. Their bosses are former apprentices of Kane Kwei or his successors. Furthermore there are the workshops of Kudjoe Affutu
and the master craftsmen Paa Joe and Paa Willie in Nungua, both of them trained carpenters at Kane Kwei's, before they opened their own shops.
(white wood) or emien for the coffin
s intended for funerals. Those dedicated to the export as artworks are made from harder and more expensive wood as limba
or African Mahogany
.
The Kane Kwei workshop is profoundly anchored in the Ga tradition, both by the genesis of its productions, by protocols framing their local use, and by its kind of functioning based on apprentices, which number can reach about ten. At the end of the apprenticeship which lasts from two to five years, a traditional ceremony is organized. In this occasion, the apprentice has to pay a sum of money, donate alcoholic drinks, a parasol, a pair of sandals to the boss of the workshop and a certificate is put handed to him.
The manufacturing process of coffin
begins by the scrupulous observation of visual documents reproducing the considered model - even of the very model, an alive hen for example - at once followed by its performance in three dimensions. Neither plans nor sketches are realized in prerequisite to their manufacturing.
If some units had been acquired in the 70s by some American gallery owners (Vivian Burns in 1973, Ernie Wolfe, both from Los Angeles
) it is from 1989 when these objects reached an international gratitude recognition as oeuvres of art.
Their successive displays in the exhibitions Magiciens de la terre
(1989, Musée National d'Art Moderne
(Centre Georges Pompidou
), Paris and Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris - Curator Jean-Hubert Martin) and "Africa Explores" (1992, New Museum of Modern Art, New York - Curator Susan Vogel) were release mechanisms of this recognition.
On the initiative of the Studio, artistic partnerships with western structures were implemented and residences of foreign artists organized.
2008
2007
Teshie
Teshie is a city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Fort Augustaborg, built by the Danes in 1787, is located in Teshie and was occupied by the British from 1850 to 1957. The national Officer Cadet Training School and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre are also located here...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, since the Fifties. It is known for its Design Coffins that became symbolic of African artistic creativity.
History
Seth Kane Kwei ( 1922–1992 ) was a carpenter joiner established in TeshieTeshie
Teshie is a city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Fort Augustaborg, built by the Danes in 1787, is located in Teshie and was occupied by the British from 1850 to 1957. The national Officer Cadet Training School and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre are also located here...
, in the suburbs of Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He is considered as the inventor at the beginning of 1950s of the design coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
s or fantasy coffins, called Abebuu adekai (" boxes with proverbs ") by Ga people
Ga people
The Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in the West African nation of Ghana. It is part of the Dangme ethnic group. The Ga people are grouped as part of theGa–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. They speak Kwa languages...
that is the dominant ethnic group of the region of Accra.
The use of these coffins during the burial in Ga country became widespread from the beginning 1960s, becoming de facto a real tradition. Design coffins are acknowledged as symbolic of the contemporary creation in Africa.
At the death of Kane Kwei, his son Sowah took over the workshop, then Cedi - junior child of Kane Kwei- after the death of Sowah in 1999. Since 2005, Eric Adjetey Anang
Eric Adjetey Anang
Eric Adjetey Anang is a Ghanaian sculptor born in Teshie, Ghana, where he lives and works.-Biography:In 2001, he introduced Ghana design coffins at Gidan Makama Museum Kano, Nigeria, under the auspices of Alliance française in Kano....
(born 1985, son of Cedi) attempts to revitalize the creativity of the studio by the introduction of new models, the creation of furniture realized in the same spirit and with the same techniques as the coffins.
About ten carpenter's workshops established in Teshie and in the region of Accra produce similar coffins. Among them, we find Tei in Dorwanya, Lay and Hello in Teshie, Tetteh in Amasaman and Tetteh Red in Ningo. Their bosses are former apprentices of Kane Kwei or his successors. Furthermore there are the workshops of Kudjoe Affutu
Kudjoe Affutu
thumb|Kudjoe Affutu Kudjoe Affutu is a Ghanaian coffin artist. He was born and still lives in Awutu Bawyiase, Central Region, Ghana...
and the master craftsmen Paa Joe and Paa Willie in Nungua, both of them trained carpenters at Kane Kwei's, before they opened their own shops.
The studio in 2010
The Kane Kwei workshop uses light wood as wawa wawaTriplochiton scleroxylon
Triplochiton scleroxylon is a tropical tree of Africa. This timber is also known as Abachi, under the Nigerian name obeche, the Ghana name wawa, the Cameroon name ayous and Ivory Coast name samba....
(white wood) or emien for the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
s intended for funerals. Those dedicated to the export as artworks are made from harder and more expensive wood as limba
Terminalia superba
Terminalia superba is a large tree in the family Combretaceae, native to tropical western Africa....
or African Mahogany
African Mahogany
African Mahogany is the common name for at least two types of trees:* genus Khaya of the family Meliaceae* genus Afzelia of the family Fabaceae...
.
The Kane Kwei workshop is profoundly anchored in the Ga tradition, both by the genesis of its productions, by protocols framing their local use, and by its kind of functioning based on apprentices, which number can reach about ten. At the end of the apprenticeship which lasts from two to five years, a traditional ceremony is organized. In this occasion, the apprentice has to pay a sum of money, donate alcoholic drinks, a parasol, a pair of sandals to the boss of the workshop and a certificate is put handed to him.
The manufacturing process of coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
begins by the scrupulous observation of visual documents reproducing the considered model - even of the very model, an alive hen for example - at once followed by its performance in three dimensions. Neither plans nor sketches are realized in prerequisite to their manufacturing.
If some units had been acquired in the 70s by some American gallery owners (Vivian Burns in 1973, Ernie Wolfe, both from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) it is from 1989 when these objects reached an international gratitude recognition as oeuvres of art.
Their successive displays in the exhibitions Magiciens de la terre
Magiciens de la terre
Magiciens de la Terre was a contemporary art exhibit at the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Grande Halle at the Parc de la Villette in 1989.-Background:...
(1989, Musée National d'Art Moderne
Musée National d'Art Moderne
The Musée National d'Art Moderne is the national museum for modern art of France. It is located in Paris and is housed in the Centre Pompidou in the 4th arrondissement of the city. Created in 1947, it was then housed in the Palais de Tokyo and moved to its current location in 1977...
(Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
), Paris and Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris - Curator Jean-Hubert Martin) and "Africa Explores" (1992, New Museum of Modern Art, New York - Curator Susan Vogel) were release mechanisms of this recognition.
On the initiative of the Studio, artistic partnerships with western structures were implemented and residences of foreign artists organized.
Coffins created by Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop - not exhaustive list
| Type | Subject |
|---|---|
| Animals | Eagle• Antelope • Whale • Cameleon • Dove • Coq • Crab • Turkey • Crayfish • Elephant • Snail • Lobster • Lion • Peacok • Parrot • Red fish • Striped fish • Catfish • tilapia • Pig • Hen • Shark • Sardine • Snake • Tuna • Turtle • Cow • Aulacode (Thryonomys swinderianus) |
| Buildings | Church • House |
| Fruits and vegetables | Pineapple• Banana • Cocoa pod • Sugar cane • Corn • Palm nut • Onion• Red pepper • Green pepper • Pumpkin |
| Objects | Soccer ball • Bible • Bottle of Star beer • Bottle of Coca Cola • Can of Aquarius energy drink • Soccer shoe • Spaner • Traditional sword • Hunting gun • Machine gun • Guitar • “Graphic” newspaper • Fishing net • Spoon • Sewing machine • Pot • Hammer • Microphone • Outboard engine • Piano • Cinema projector • Plane • Robot • Flour bag • Chief's scepter • Saw • Seringe • Referee whistle • Smith's bellows • Ballpoint with notebook • Asante stool • Bass drum • Talking drum • Mobile phone • Trowel |
| Vehicles | Ambulance • 32 seats bus • Aircraft (Ghana Airways) • Aircraft (KLM) • Cruise ship • Bedford truck • Garbage truck • Fire truck • Fishing boat • War tank • Volkswagen minibus • Tractor • Mercedes-Benz car • Toyota Corolla |
| Others | Sun |
Presence of the studio on the international cultural stage since 2005
2009- « Life is Wonderful » - Commercial clip for Aquarius soft drink, shot in Teshie, based on the history of Kane Kwei's deisgn coffins and workshop. Sra Rushmore Agency for pour Coca Cola Spain. Madrid, Spain.
- « Colorfull into darkness » - Exhibition of eight design coffins in Antwerp (Belgium). « Boulevard Amandla » Project. Afro Antwerpens Kunstenforum / Verbeke Foundation. Anvers, Belgium.
- Public order for the Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario MuseumThe Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
. Ontario, Canada. - Resident artist for two months: Michael Deforest, Oregon College of Art & CraftOregon College of Art & CraftOregon College of Art & Craft is a college in Portland, Oregon, United States that grants Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and certificates in book arts, ceramics, drawing and painting, fibers, metals, photography and wood. The college also offers an Artist-in-Residence program and provides...
, Portland, USA. Oregon College of Arts and Crafts et Atelier Kane Kwei. - 26 minutes TV programme on the studio. El Mondo TV. Madrid, Spain.
- « Ghana art Coffins in exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium » - Online article about the Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop participation in « Boulevard Amandla ».
- One hour radio programme on the workshop and the Ganaian poet Nii Aye. Radio Central, Anvers, Belgium.
- Private order of eight coffins. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
2008
- « Moment with Mo Abudu » - One hour TV programme featuring Eric Adjetey AnangEric Adjetey AnangEric Adjetey Anang is a Ghanaian sculptor born in Teshie, Ghana, where he lives and works.-Biography:In 2001, he introduced Ghana design coffins at Gidan Makama Museum Kano, Nigeria, under the auspices of Alliance française in Kano....
on the workshop creations. M-Net TV studios. Lagos, Nigeria. - Private order of two coffins. Netherlands.
- Interview of Eric Adjetey AnangEric Adjetey AnangEric Adjetey Anang is a Ghanaian sculptor born in Teshie, Ghana, where he lives and works.-Biography:In 2001, he introduced Ghana design coffins at Gidan Makama Museum Kano, Nigeria, under the auspices of Alliance française in Kano....
. Arte Television, Germany.
2007
- Institutional order of five coffins. FISA foundation, Sevilla, Spain.
Group exhibitions
- 2005 "Arts of Africa“, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, France
- 2005 "African Art Now”, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, USA
- 2005 "Sexualität und Tod - AIDS in der Zeitgenössischen Afrikanischen Kunst", RJM Museum, Cologne, Germany.
- 2003 "Ghana: hier et aujourd’hui=Ghana: Yesterday and today", Musée Dapper, Paris, France
- 1998 "AFRICA Vibrant New Art from a Dynamic Continent”, Tobu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan.
- 1996 "Neue Kunst aus Afrika“, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany.
- 1993 "Skizzen eines Projektes“, Ludwig Forum für internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany.
- 1991 "Africa Explores: 20th Century African Art”, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, USA.
- 1989 "Magiciens de la Terre”, National Museum of Contemporary Art - Georges Pompidou Center, La Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris, France.
Solo exhibitions
- 2000 "Ein Fisch für die letzte Ruhe“, Museum auf dem Ohlsdorfer Friedhof, Hamburg, Germany.
- 1998 "Kane Kwei”, Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1997 "Wie das Leben, so der Sarg...Nam June Paik“, Ifa Gallery, Bonn, Germany.
Films
- Sépulture sur mesure. Film by Philippe Lespinasse. Grand Angle Production. photo- and video archives by Regula TschumiRegula Tschumi- Bibliography :Regula Tschumi has spent time in East, West and South Africa, researching into contemporary African art. In 2006 she published a standard work on the figurative coffins of the Ga people. In this book she traces the origins of these coffins in the art and religion of the Ga, and...
, 2009 - Les cercueils de Monsieur Kane Kwei, Thierry Secretan, 1989