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Kwame Akoto-Bamfo

Biography

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo (born 1983) is a multi-disciplinary Educator, Cultural Activist, Human Right Activist, Spiritual Leader and Artist, known for his sculptures and massive body of works dedicated to the memory, healing and Restorative Justice for people of African descent. His outdoor sculptures are dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Transatlantic slave trade, notably the installation Nkyinkim, on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice that opened in 2018 in Montgomery, Alabama.

His other sculptures include an installation of 1,200 concrete heads representing Ghana’s enslaved ancestors in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Called Faux-Reedom, it was unveiled in 2017.

Early Life & Education

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo grew up in Accra and the Eastern Region of Ghana, where he and his sister were raised by a single mother and grandmother. Learning a lot of traditional Ghanaian culture and values as well as African philosophy from village life with his grandmother, he later attended schools in Ghana’s capital Accra before attending Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School. Upon graduating, he trained at the College of Arts Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he graduated with first-class honours and then later attained his master’s degree from the same university.

He earned his BFA in Painting and Sculpture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He also received his MFA in sculpture from the same University. Kwame has consulted for reputable organizations, academic institutions and various government officials. He lectured briefly at Radford University before pursuing his creative career full-time. Through sculpting, and multimedia studio practices he produces life-size sculptures, animation, illustrations and digital designs to educate his audience on the ills of colonialism, the negative impact of slavery and systemic racism in contemporary times. He takes inspiration from Akan symbols, sculptures and design elements as part of the visual language he employs in transmitting ancestral knowledge and preserving African heritage.

Other Activities

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo is regularly engaged in public speaking, research, and lectures largely due to his work as a sculptor, archiving and promoting African history and cultural heritage at Nkyinkyim Museum.

As a creative interlocutor, his main goal is to facilitate mass education, healing and empowerment of Africans of the African race. His work is critical in bridging the gap between Africans on the continent and Africans in the diaspora.

Kwame’s creative practice draws on African historical references to initiate serious dialogues around the African experience in pre-colonial and contemporary times. Kwame’s creative practice is mainly dedicated to promoting and preserving African heritage. He is well known for the Nkyinkyim installation and ancestor project. Nkyinkyim installation is an evolving museum which currently comprises over 3,500 sculptures spreading across 3 continents (Africa, Europe and America).

An extension of Nkyinkyim forms part of the permanent Slave Monument installation at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. His interactive Blank Slate Monument has publicly toured major cities in America.

Film & Television

  • The Art of Healing (2022 documentary, in post-production, Executive Producer and Co-writer)
  • Enslaved (2020 miniseries)
  • The Lost Ancestors

Exhibitions

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo’s first major exhibition was during the 60th Independence Day (Ghana) Celebration when he outdoored Nkyinkyim Installation sculptures of over 1,200 concrete portrait heads of people of African descent at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in an exhibition dubbed ‘Faux-Reedom’. Kwame used the strong imagery of life-size sculpted heads to question Ghana’s independence and draw international attention to Ghana’s neo-colonial legacies. Kwame’s work toes a fine line between public art and activism. His works reference colonial legacies, racial justice, racial equity, healing and restorative justice. Kwame’s travelling exhibition Blank Slate Palimpsest Monument, also known as the Blank Slate Monument was unveiled in Ghana in 2019 and toured the United States, visiting notable places of historic significance to the ‘African American Experience’ such as Selma, Harlem and New York City’s Times Square, where the monument was unveiled during the sentencing of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Other notable stops include Louisville Kentucky, Detroit’s Motown Museum, Chicago’s DuSable Museum and The King Center in Atlanta.

Timeline

May
2006

In-Between

Alliance​ ​Francaise-Ahodwo,​ ​Kumasi

August
2012

Canvass​ ​Culture

Moevenpick,​ ​​ ​Accra

August
2012

Chalewote​ ​Street​ ​Art​ ​Festival​

James​ ​Town,​ ​​ ​Accra

September 2012 - June 2013

Nkyinkyim​ ​Progress​ ​Exhibition

Nuhalenya, Ada

August
2016

Usuthu​ ​Usuthu

The​ ​Chop​ ​Bar​ ​- A&C​ ​Shopping​ ​Mall, Accra

August 2017
( Co-Curator)

Chalewote​ ​Street​ ​Art​ ​Festival​ ​2017​ ​(Watamata)

James​ ​Town,​ ​​ ​Accra

7th April - 17th June
2018

In​ ​Memoriam​ ​Portraits​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Middle​ ​Passage​ ​In​ ​Situ

Cape​ ​Coast​ ​Castle,​ ​Cape​ ​Coast-Ghana

4th March - 7th April
2018

Fauxreedom​ ​(Faux-reedom)

Kwame​ ​Nkrumah​ ​Mausoleum/Park​ ​​, Accra-Ghana

4th March - 7th April
2018

Fauxreedom​ ​Ussher​ ​Fort

James​ ​Town, Accra-​ ​Ghana

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Group​ ​exhibition​ ​with​ ​Frank​ ​Ampadu​ ​Sarpong(Ghana​ ​)​ ​and​ ​Charles Henry​ ​Fertin​ ​(France)

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International​ ​Workshop​

Reconsidering​ ​Slavery​ ​in​ ​Britain​