GEPA CEO (right) inspecting an artwork with Nana Bediatuo Asante (middle)
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Herbert Krapa, has urged Ghanaians to let their admiration and enthusiasm for local art reflect in the purchase of the commodities that have mostly been patronised by expatriates.
He talked of the need for the re-orientation of the Ghanaian mindset to understand that investing in art was a way of investing in the Ghanaian heritage as well as the economy.
“We like it, we admire it, we speak proudly about it to others, but the final purchase to complete the equation is not with the same enthusiasm,” he said.
Speaking at the opening of the second edition of the Sound Out Premium Art Exhibition on Saturday, August 21, 2021, he said that platforms such as exhibitions were crucial to giving prominence and exposure to both artists and consumers as it increases awareness and leads to sharing of market information.
The seven days event which featured the work of 32 Ghanaian artists was organised by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) in line with the third pillar of the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), which seeks to build capacity for industrial export development and marketing.
The Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, indicated that GEPA seeks to build the platform to a level where “artists on the continent will be clamouring to showcase their pieces at this annual festival.”
This, she said, is to be achieved through boosting production capacity and building a business environment that supports export.
She encouraged Ghanaians to not regard art as a luxury but rather an intrinsic part of the Ghanaian culture.
“The best of our export items that have made it to shelves of big brands, have been the ones that are not just well packaged, but aesthetically good looking – thanks to the creative side of us,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, said that Ghanaians stood to benefit immensely from the industrial craft and art sector if more attention was paid to using platforms such as the premium art exhibition to nurture the industry and strengthen businesses.
By Issah Mohammed