Henry Appiah
Henry Appiah is widely known by his artist name, 'Asenior.' He relates his story here. After secondary school, I enrolled in a prestigious college of art and design to pursue a diploma in painting. I am now a freelance artist and lecture at two university art schools. "As a child I was aware of the talent I had in me. I desired to draw always and I enjoyed it. I derived satisfaction f
rom this hobby. I was reading the sciences in secondary school but then I decided on reading art as a subject, which is the exception rather than the rule. I loved art better than the other subjects. I then decided to concentrate on what I loved and enjoyed. "I started selling art on a commercial basis in 1993, my second year in art college. I had my first exhibition in 1993 and the response was good so I continue to exhibit my work in galleries. I have been painting for seven years. I've had three solo exhibitions, in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and four group exhibitions. "The buyers of my work are mainly African-Americans, Europeans and Americans. Ghanaians don't patronize art much. The single largest commissioned work I have done was for a Ghanaian firm: The Global Hotel in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra. "I have different techniques I have developed over time. I have the brush spiral technique, the palette spiral technique, and the fabric stamping technique, as well as others. I developed the spiral technique through the relation between the earth which is a spiral and the focus of attention I give to the main figure in the themes I translate onto the canvas. This figure becomes the center of the attraction in my world which at that material moment is the canvas. These technique are intuitive; thus these techniques are original and are true to me because it is something I have created – these forms are inborn. These techniques have evolved from within me as a result of my quest to "stand out of the crowd." I use different textures to come out with different effects that add character and identity to my works. "The themes of my paintings are derived from my subconscious with a strong relation to my natural environment. Sometimes the urge to create comes out strong; the translation that my canvas bears is bold and extraordinary. Although I sometimes use themes that are derived from my natural environment, the figures I use turn out to be abstract in every form. This action evolves from the action that takes place in my subconscious. I love painting figures and market women. I use oil, acrylic and watercolor. In some works I use acrylics, this is because the effect pursued is achieved. This is the same with oil. "I have been influenced by some of the excellent artists in Ghana. Wiz Kudowor, whose use of creativity in his figures as well as his sense of ecstatic beauty, inspires me. Kofi Setordji's works have inspired me in that his abstract expressionism urges me on to develop my style. Nii Mills is also an artist whose works have inspired me; every brush stroke in his work serves a purpose. The strokes are placed with care and intelligence, thus having an active involvement in the work."
