Carl Tetteh Nartey

Self-taught photographer Carl Tetteh Nartey, picked up photography less than two years ago. An inspiration that educed as he worked with established artist in Ghana and Nigeria on his “Lords across Africa Project”. He is the proud founder and creative director of “The Lords of the Arts” #TLOTA and Twyla Studios.

The Lords of the Arts; a group of established as well as emerging artist across Africa is an initiative he came up with to connect artist across Africa to create, connect and Sustain a network with the best ideas in art as well as serve, promote and support the arts in the sub region and Africa at large with help from other art networks.

Our work encompasses a wide range of practices from painting to sculpture, installation, illustration, film, photography and performance art. Our name is coined from “masters/lords” of the individual creative arts we represent. Our motive is to inspire art lovers, ignite creativity in young talents and connect with other artist across the continent with different cultural disciplines. Launched in 2013, we have been providing platforms that bring together a rich array of diverse artists to inspire and promote creativity as well as innovative ideas of solving the problems in our society.

 Carl experiments with color as well as black and white in his creative process and storytelling. He works in different genres of photography like portraiture, landscape, food, fashion and flies. 

In his current project, “Primitive”, Carl is working with light, wooden pallets, flowers, face painting and make up in photographs, creating series of works which seeks to address the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of beauty.

Carl has hosted and participated in exhibition in Ghana and Nigeria. He was born in Ghana and is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he read Bsc. Computer Science. 

You can follow Carl on his all social media platforms, below are some of his photography works.

Facebook: Carl Tetteh Nartey

Twitter: @Ogbetemia

Instagram:@ Ogbetemia / @twylastudio

Written by Richard Amoako (Publisher Newpage Magazine)

 

Imran Abdul Rahman is a Ghanaian born artist raised in Nima, a suburb of Accra. This is what he had to say when we spoke to him;

  "I was fortunate enough to have completed junior high school considering my background.

I never wasted any time to pursue my dream of becoming a professional artist. All I needed was a pencil. At my early ages I started with drawing on any surface around the house with chalk and charcoal but one day I decided to get  a pencil and start drawing in my exercise book.

 

Immediately fell in love with it and wanted to do it all the time. With every drawing I did, I got a little better.

I developed my own techniques and tricks along the way and I am proud to say that I am completely self-taught.

I got my very first commission work in 2004 and I can now boast of getting commission works from within and outside Ghana. Some of my works have been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum, museum of the Netherlands in Amsterdam

Imran is the lead pencil artist on the TLOTA Portrait Project 2016.

A project that aims at celebrating outstanding Ghanaians influencing society and causing change

He worked on Dr. Randy Osae Badiako, Bernardino Koku Avle amongst others yet to be presented. From TLOTA to Imran we say Ayeko, continue following your Passion and all the best with our PENCIL.

Follow Killous on Facebook: Imran Abdul Rahman  and IG: @trybalart

 

Kwakwa Anthony Junior

 Kwakwa Anthony Junior was born in the Ashanti Region of Ghana on the 19th June 1991.


He is the first of three siblings.He had his junior secondary education at Mother Smith Intl in Kumasi and furthered to T.I Ahmadiyya shs.(T.I Amass)in Kumasi,where he completed in 2009.


Kwakwa got enrolled to study B.A communication Design in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he majored in animation and video production.







 He specializes in portraiture, combines the smudging, hatching, crosshatching, stippling to render the realistic effects in drawing.


Kwakwa has been doing portraits for close to 5 years now. Among hus portraits are: Minister Sonnie Badu, Archbishop Duncan William, Prof. Ellis Otoo, T.D. James and make more.

His dream is to become one of the finest artists Africa has ever produced, heading to the top.


He is also a member of  "The Lords of the Arts" and  we look forward to a dream come true for @KWAKWA













Kwakwa will be exhibiting at the A&C Mall  East Legon on friday, 29th January from 6am-12 midnight.

Lets all go and support the champ.


Visit his pages on Facebook and Instagram @Kwakwa_arts

The Artist Emmanuel Apraku (a.k.a Ray Styles) was born in Accra capital city of Ghana, on the 31st January 1988, had his junior and senior high school education at Accra New Town Experimental and Accra Academy respectively. Like many other prominent artists in his country, he enrolled to study art in College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he specialized in animation and video production and graduated with a first Class Honors Bachelor degree in Communication Design. He is the last son from a family of four siblings.

#OVERFLOW First Displayed @ TLOTA

He does Oil, Acrylic, Pastel but in recent times specializes in Pencil Portraiture with the smudging technique. He has been doing portraits for about seven years now and has constantly been improving his pencil technique. Among his portraits are that of Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu, Dr Michael Agyekum Addo (CEO of KAMA), Afia Appiah (Hedge Ghana), Chris Bosh (NBA player). He held a solo art exhibition of some of his drawings in 2010 at Hedge Ghana in east Legon, Accra that received a good elite audience. Again, participate as main exhibit in THE LORDS OF THE ART (TLOTA) where he first unveiled his mind-blowing piece titled ‘OVERFLOW’. He does realistic portraiture and has an eye for details that makes his style unique as compared to many other artists. Again, in recent times, he turned to the street art direction where everything he does on paper now he does on walls. Graffiti is the name. This he uses Spray cans and combines colors beautifully into very creative wall art. He does not go the vandal way but on commission. He had the opportunity to “Graffiti” a well known building which happens to be a radio station, XFm” or more precisely media house in Osu-Ghana.
Currently, he is working with a reputable Advertising Agency as a Creative Visual analysis. He has dreams of becoming the world’s renowned artist and with what the world has already seen from this young man, the sky can only be a fitting starting point for him.

Ray was part of TLOTA from the initial stage and was one of the lead exhibitor at the exhibition. He is the lead and brain behind all graphic arts for TLOTA.

He decided to start making nice people  look ugly and forgot Me. I never bore.Enjoy his caricature pieces visit penciledcelebrities for more.

Before anything the whole TLOTA team want to say a big happy birthday to our brother. We are glad our paths crossed and may 

Nature (Kwabnat) real name; Albert Kwabena Adabo, was born and raised in Tema. He started exhibiting his skills in live art sketch at age 10, parents noticed and encouraged him. At age 15 he started painting on his own, his first oil painting on canvas which he  sold to his neighbor. Kwabnat got his name "Nature" from his grandpa Polycarp Anderson (who is also his mentor) because his art works looked natural and real. He has the ambition of being amongst the best hyperrealistic artist the world would ever witness.

He received his middle education at the Tema Methodist Day Senior High School from 2007 to 2009. He then upgraded himself at IPMC College of technology in 2009 where he studied graphics and website designing for diploma.  Kwabnat is curious and  always wants to explore the different fields of art. He loves to do live art and expresses it at exhibition events with pencil more.

He is inspired by artist like Kelvin Okafor, and other fellow artist like JD.Hillberry, Omar Ortiz, Simon Hennessy and Charles Geong. He also had the chance to exhibit his works in some parts of his country Ghana. He now works as a portrait painter, pencil artist and a graphic designer.

ARTIST STATEMENTS
 

His interest for pencil art began way back in 2008 where he discovered pencil artist Kelvin Okafor on the internet, at then he was more into painting but had a little idea about pencil shading. Kwabnat said, in fact  he was marveled and he couldn't believe  a person could use a pencil to create a piece so real and lively. Since then,   Kwabnat focus diverted straightly into pencil art.

He had worked over 500 portraits in both pencil shading and paintings, majority of them being commissioned. Due to his natural ability and passion for portraitures he had being inspired to draw many celebrities like John Dumelo, Yvonne Nelson, Dr.Crym, Martha Ankoma, Beyonce Knowles, Ishaan, Justin Bieber, Ana Brenda Contreas, Chika Ike, Nadia Buari, Kofi Annan, Lauryn Hill etc.

John Dumelo (Actor/Director)

The first step he considers before starting a drawing piece is, he studies the picture for a couple of days just to draw inspiration and interest from the picture. After this he focuses on his goals which are details, precision and realism. Spending some time with the picture he develops the best technique to carry out his work.  Kwabnat says, the most interesting part of the human figure he always loves to render is the face  because he thinks that's what identifies human beings. “Art my soul “

Kwabnat was one of the exhibitors at TLOTA 
exhibition where he amazingly captured a lot of people on paper with his pencil. We can't to see Kwabnat achieve his dream of being the best hyperrealistic artist. The world is your studio mehn. Keep Vimming and Happy Birthday Day! 

Photo Credit: Enoch Nsoh Photography

I am CASODJE. On social media, I am known as Adjetey Bass. Art and instruments has been in the family for long. Grandpa was an artist, Daddy plays the drum and it is natural that I Draw and play the Bass. 

Growing up was like a battlefield. I had to work hard for everything I wanted. I got my primary and junior high school education from the Freeman Methodist School, then to Koforidua Secondary School now (OBOSS), where I read Visual Arts and then to IPMC for a diploma in Graphic Design. 

Sold at TLOTA Exhibition

I am a freelance artist and bassist  now so y'all keep the commissions coming; Na man for chop.  The art just popped up from nowhere. I have had teachers though Edwin Opare was my first till I became his competitor lol. Now, I look unto Ray Styles, who’s been an amazing friend and an inspiration. A teacher in this thing they call Hyperrealism Movement. 

However, I nearly became a drummer like daddy. It took just a week to grasp what my teacher taught me. The guy tutoring the bass guitar was lazying around  so I had to swap and start learning the bass guitar. I have had teachers here too. I believe it is - arts and playing instrument - a never ending cycle, a long learning curve where one can always improve and become best than they are. 

Latest Piece (Minister Joe Mettle)

 

I have been a part of TLOTA from day one. And I was the most successful artist at the first exhibition because I exhibited one work (The Ugly Old Woman) and it was bought :) . I went home empty handed with a fatter wallet. 

We look forward to better days where the face of art would be changed in our part of the world, become more resourceful and all that.  To the young ones, keep practicing, get a mentor and be humble, pray and always be positive. 

Chale the world is too small for us. Long Live TLOTA; Long Live Session Boys; Long Live CASODJE. Am out!!!