Asɔ ne Prayɛ
Acrylic on canvas 100 x 180cm 2026
In a palette of browns, black, beige, red, white and grey, a hoe and a broom are painted against a background of dirt. The pair are slightly off-center to the right, with the hoe on the left pointing the the left and the broom upright on the right, held at the waist by a thin strip of cloth coloured black, red and white. This painting by Kweku Okokroko is from a series of paintings that segue into philosophical scholarship, derived from the Abrewa Posoposo Epic. A literary work authored by Kweku Okokroko.
This is a rare Bamana ritual hoe or “daba” used in conjunction with the Chi Wara “antelope” headdress dance and was not intended for agricultural use. Mali, wood, iron, 25.” H. The Chi Wara or Tyi Wara society of the Bamana are dedicated to the god of agriculture and believe this half man and half animal being taught the Bamana how to cultivate the land. He was the offspring of the first created being, an old woman “Mousso Koroni” and a snake. The society focuses on the healing of snake bites and promotes a good harvest of the land.