Hand-Painted Traditional African Calabash Mask from Ghana 'Ghana's Reflections' Item ID: 2671805481

“I am Ayoma Alhassaan. I was born in Nima, a suburb of Accra. My mum was a trader and my dad a gardener. I come from a very large family; I have 5 siblings. I am a very hardworking artist. After form 3, I didn't continue with my education. A friend of mine convinced me to travel to Lagos, Nigeria, and that was why I didn't continue with my education. I had to work in a harbor. From Lagos I went to Libya, and later I returned to Ghana to learn art and finishing at the Accra Art Centre. That was where I also learned to design calabash pieces, and I have now mastered the craft.

"In line with my work, I met a lady whom I married, and we had two kids. Unfortunately, she is now dead, but I remarried because I was still young. My dream for the future is to revamp my old workshop. Art for me is a passion, and so I will be teaching more and more youth. I have also taught my son to do the calabash art finishing. My aim is to continue building on my creative skills.”