Hassan Issah: “My vision is to use art to develop my local community.”

Published Thursday , April 18 2024 | Hassan Issah by the-System *

Welcome to the-System *

Thank you!

Can you state your name and describe what you do?

My name is Hassan Issah. I am a multi disciplinary Artist who lives and work in Kumasi, Ghana.

“Hanging paintings flatly on walls became so boring at some point for me. So I started making paintings that potentially were sculptures. And this kind of [Art]ittude created some kind of physicality which always required the viewers to physically engage in the process of viewing. That is very experiential and fun for me. The idea of moving around an artwork in order to view it.”

Can you tell us about your background and what initially drew you to the world of art? Were there any significant influences or experiences in your early life that led you to pursue a career in art ?

I think my early initiation into the Art was my childhood days (just like many artists). I would draw on every wall and every table at home and in school. But the most fun part of it was the drawing commotions we had in school with a group of young geniuses. After school everyday, we made drawings at home because every other morning in school was an exhibition for the class. People were so eager to see the drawings we each were gonna present everyday, so it was kind of exciting. I also was growing in the era of sign painters. Within this era (early 2000s) you would see a lot of artists making sign/billboards manually with paints everyday. These same artists will make movie posters and alphabetical illustrations on school walls. I really enjoyed seeing these things and I would spend so much time watching them at work. I always wanted to be like them. Plus my grandfather was a builder who built most of the houses in the community I grew up in. And he would always visit some of these sites with me and my brother in a form of supervision. It was an early introduction to architecture as well. These things really stimulated my interest in art at a very young age.

Your work explores themes of theatricality, objecthood, and material culture. How do these concepts influence your artistic practice, and what do you hope to convey through your art?

There’s so much that happens within the material and object culture in Kumasi. I like to tap into this in the making of my work.

What I also found really interesting is how social, economical, cultural, historical and political remnants are hidden in these materials and forms presented to us in the city.

It is as though we are always confronted by these politics through these materials and forms but we never pay attention. So I try to [re]present them through the making of my work to the audience.

For me it is a form of archival [Art]ittude. And on the flip side it’s a way of thinking through what painting and sculpture could mean in the 21st century. I like to use the city to attempt answering most of my critical questions on painting and sculpture.

“Through my work, I wanted to document the city as it is now, and preserve them for posterity. I’m interested in everything including the kind of labor that transforms these ideas and materials into forms.”

I’m curious of how your upbringing and environment shaped your artistic vision and the materials you use in your work?

Some of the ‘supervisional’ tours I had with my grandfather in his last days were very important as they become part of the foundations to what I do now.

Those days, when ever we visited a house he built 30-50 yrs ago, he would always be angry about the changes made by the new tenants. He complained about every single detail that had been changed and I never understood any of that because I was just a babe boy.

But later in my practice, I would reflect on these things and now become aware of the changed in our societies on a daily basis. Things changed drastically! Buildings and streets are constantly being demolished and modernized. And it looked as though there were no records of these things anywhere.

I started thinking of my work as testaments of some of these fleeting times and forms. Through my work, wanted to document the city as it is now, and preserve them for posterity. I’m interested in everything including the kind of labor that transforms these ideas and materials into forms.

The kind of materials I use are so important to me because they are the crux of the social landscape.

Can you elaborate on your process of creating installations and sculptures using materials like posters, acrylic/oil paints, and welded objects? How do you decide on the composition and arrangement of these elements?

I am very interested in the idea of layering. In my work, I try to layer materially, culturally, historically and even layers of labor forms.

In the material layers, you see posters, different colors of paints, wood, metals (both steak, aluminum and iron) and some fabrics usually coming together to become something that is reminiscent of something you would see in the city.

Culturally, I sneak in some local adinkra symbols against damask pattens and arabesque ornamentations (which are typical in Muslim homes in Ghana).

Historically , you see residues of the trans Atlantic slave trade, colonialism and islam’s invasion, appearing in the form of ornaments in our homes, also playing a major role.

And for labor, I always like to bring together, welders, smiths, and carpenters in the making of every single work. It’s interesting that the installation or painting brings together all of these layers in the process of making ti become something.

The composition is usually very flexible in terms of decision making. I don’t make it all by myself. Materials, cultures, histories and even people that I work with always make some of the decisions when it comes to composing the work.

I like to think of the production as a filmmaking or music. Everyone has a part to play and everybody is free to play their part. There’s this excitement that comes with giving people the liberty to seriously play whiles working.

Your artworks often reference aesthetics from specific epochs in history, such as the Baroque and Rococo periods. What draws you to these historical references, and how do you incorporate them into your contemporary artwork?

I’m drawn to these epocs through the city I live in. There are so many of these references in the built environment. These types of forms got to us through colonialism and the return of some of the enslaved Afro Brazilians in the late 1800s.

And through apprenticeship programs and labor force, some specific styles and skills (in carpentry, masonry and smithing) were distributed across regions. These will be passed down through apprentices all the way to where we are now hence becoming a part of us.

So whenever I make work that is inspired by the city, I can’t over look some of these references. It is very part of the social fabric. I also like how these classical ornamentations has been synthesized with the local adinkra symbols. Thus, making them something completely new. Not adinkra anymore and not baroque/rococo anymore. It is a new form that I think should be studied and understood differently.

Your layered metal works, composed of upcycled materials, invite viewers to physically interact with your art. What do you hope viewers take away from these immersive experiences?

Hanging paintings flatly on walls became so boring at some point for me. So I started making paintings that potentially were sculptures. And this kind of [Art]ittude created some kind of physicality which always required the viewers to physically engage in the process of viewing. That is very experiential and fun for me. The idea of moving around an artwork in other to view it.

“We need a lot of local collectors, so most of the works we produce will stay here on the continent. There’s way too much art/ists being shipped to the west. We need more here too. If we get to a point where we are hosting than always being guests elsewhere, we will happy.”

Could you share any memorable experiences or challenges you’ve encountered in your artistic journey, and how they have influenced your growth as an artist?

I think the most important thing for my career is enrolling in an art course in KNUST. It is the highlight of my career as I have learnt so much and seen so much transformation through the people (lecturers and friends) I met there. I is indeed a experience for me.

The only challenge I like to acknowledge is the idea of space. For someone who loves to produce like me, I keep renting spaces for storage and filling it up. I’m always excited about having a bigger space, then the next moment I’m sad because it’s full. This challenge I think has influenced me to start thinking of building spaces as artistic practice. I look forward to building sculptures that also serves as storages and pavilions to have art works installed in them. Artworks in an artwork sort of vibe. It is a dream!

Looking ahead, are there any new themes or directions you’re excited to explore in your future artworks?

My vision is to use art to develop my local community. Use art to transform lives and things around me. The dream is to give more art to My city through artistic infrastructure and events.

And finally, what do you think can or must be done to improve the creative industries in Africa? Starting with your local scene.

I think we need more artistic spaces. From museums to Galleries and Art foundations. If we have these things, we have a lot of audience and that automatically inspires artists to produce more. More over, we need a lot of local collectors, so most of the works we produce will stay here on the continent. There’s way too much art/ists being shipped to the west. We need more here too. If we get to a point where we are hosting than always being guests elsewhere, we will happy.