Joseph Kossivi Ahiator (born c. 1956 in Aflao) is a Ghanaian artist, described as the most "sought-after India spirit temple painter in Bénin, Togo and Ghana".[1] His work is in the possession of the Fowler Museum.[2] He is noted for his print “The King of Mami Wata” (2005) and his Tchamba temple mural in Lomé.[3][4]

Biography

Joseph Kossivi Ahiator was born in 1956 in Aflao, Ghana which makes him 67 years old today. His primary focus in the concepts of his artwork are the ocean, as well as the Mami Wata spirit, Indian Spirits, and other Vodu Gods that come from and are connected to the sea. He believes his interest in the sea derives from his frequent visits to India and his belief that he was born with Indian spirits. Due to this, many of his temple paintings can have the same figures or imagery that demonstrate the link between India, Africa, and the seas. Dan Aida Wedo, the rainbow serpent Vodu is one reoccurring spirit.

Education

Ahiator attended the University of Ghana, Legon and received a Master of Arts degree in international relations and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He went on to study at the University of London to obtain a Master of Science degree in international relations.

Artworks

"India Spirits" 1996

This wall mural piece made with reference to Hindu chromolithographs features Dan Aida Wedo, the rainbow serpent vodu, arching over the entire top to encapsulate Indian inspired imagery as well as Mami Wata spirits to signify a unification or joining. The qualities of the rainbow serpent vodu that he chose to demonstrate this are meaningful because Dan Aida Wedo is regenerative and full of life.[5]

"King of Mami Wata" 2005

This artwork was inspired by a dream as well as a print that Ahiator had seen in the past. He dreamt he was swimming with an Indian king spirit that had nineteen heads and his queen who had nine heads. He named the King in his dream the King of Mami Wata and the queen he named NaKrishna. He had also seen an Indian print with a nineteen headed spirit in 1977 that served as inspiration for his work. This piece was a commission for Dana Rush and was painted on cloth.

"Maman Tchamba and Tchamba Temple Mural" 1970

This piece placed near Lomé, Togo was Ahiator's first of many Tchamba temple murals in Benin, Ghana, and Togo. This one features an image of a Maman Tchamba and a Tchamba; a mother with a bowl of kola nuts being handed off to her son. These nuts were commonly known to suppress hunger, thirst, and fatigue and served as a symbol of the northern Muslims.

Exhibitions

Joseph Kossivi Ahiator's work is mainly temple paintings, so there are no public exhibitions to be found.

Collections

Ahiator's work, "Indian King of Mami Wata", is currently in possession of the Fowler Museum at UCLA

Many beautiful Tchamba temple murals still stand to be seen scattered art all throughout Benin, Togo, and Ghana

References

  1. ↑ Adogame, Afeosemime Unuose; Echtler, Magnus; Vierke, Ulf (2008). Unpacking the New: Critical Perspectives on Cultural Syncretization in Africa and Beyond. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 212. ISBN 978-3-8258-0719-1.
  2. ↑ "X2005.5.1 Indian King of Mami Wata". Fowler Museum. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Miller, Joseph C. (18 January 2015). The Princeton Companion to Atlantic History. Princeton University Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-1-4008-5221-5.
  4. ↑ Bellagamba, Alice; Greene, Sandra E.; Klein, Martin A. (13 May 2013). African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade: Volume 1, The Sources. Cambridge University Press. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-521-19470-9.
  5. ↑ "Mami Wata", Encyclopedia of African Religion, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009, doi:10.4135/9781412964623.n256, ISBN 9781412936361, retrieved 2023-12-03{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)



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