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Kofi Antubam, the great Ghanaian artist whose works live on many years after his death

Kofi Antubam (in white) during his days at Achimota College

Ghana’s presidential seats, the panel doors of the entrance of the country’s former legislative assembly and the relief carvings on the Speaker’s parliamentary desk, these are just a few of Kofi Antubam’s works.

A pioneer of the use of adinkra symbols in Ghanaian art, Kofi Antubam was born in 1922. The only known names of his parents are Maame and Nana Mensah.

Losing his father at a very young age, Antubam’s uncle took him to Kumasi to start his education. Kofi Antubam attended Adisadel College and that is where he was encouraged to develop his craft.

Through a clay bust he made for the then governor of the Gold Coast, Antubam obtained a sponsorship to attend Achimota college where he was able to polish his arts and craft talent, with the help of a Russian-born sculptor and art teacher, Herbert Vladimir Meyerowitz.

Upon graduating from the school, he took up teaching and also sold figurative paintings he made to support himself financially.

After successfully bagging another scholarship, Antubam was able to study at the Art School of Goldsmith College in London from 1948 to 1950.

In pursuit of his African Personality concept after independence, Dr Kwame Nkrumah contracted Kofi Antubam to create the country’s three Presidential Seats for the political authority of the new nation.

With the help of some local craftsmen, Kofi Antubam designed and made the seats, a task that took them almost a year to complete.

The three Presidential Seats, according to Jerry Orhin Yorke in a 2017 research publication, are; “The Chair of State (Asipim), Seat of State (Asεsεgua) now referred to as The Presidential Seat and The Vice-president’s Seat (Asipim). These seats and the State Sword (Afena-nta) came into existence as a result of Kwame Nkrumah’s policies on the Ghanaian political culture. It was revealed in the researcher’s findings that, all the politico-culture artefacts created by his cultural policies were Ghanaian and for that matter African.”

Antubam made use of significant adinkra symbols in the designs of all three seats to symbolise the sovereignty of the nation as well as the authority of the president.

The Chair of State, though not used any longer, is still very strong and on display at the National Museum in Accra.

The other two seats are still used by the president and vice president of the country.

Other national regalia designed by Antubam and still in use by the country, include the mace of Parliament, the President Pole and the State sword.

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Some of his private works were exhibited in New York by the American Society of African Culture in 1962 and in 1963, he published Ghana’s Heritage of Culture, a book that sheds light on the contributions Ghana has made to world of art.

Kofi Antubam died in 1964.

 

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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