Meet the Artist

Biography

 

Born in Germany and raised in Ghana

Occupation: Foreign language correspondent

Vocation: Creativity in all directions

My specialty: Rocaille Bead Art

 

My work is inspired by the vibrant life and colours in everyday Ghanaian life. In the 1990s I started doing silk painting. Then I decided to make necklaces with silk bands and silver elements. Soon, semi-precious stones were added to the mix.

 

I have a friend who is allergic to metal of any kind and on “bad” days, her skin would react to the silk or maybe the colours of the dyed bands as well. But she could wear glass beads and semi-precious stones. Soon I was caught up in the myriad possibilities of how to thread beads together, not to mention the colour combinations and designs. The rest, as one says, is history….

 

My creations are one-of-a-kind. I might make a similar necklace but never exactly the same one. Yes, it is time-consuming but I do not notice the passage of time when I am working. Some pieces take just a few hours to make. Others have taken me over 40 hours to create.

 

My Logo

 

 

Why "Nsona"?

Nsona / Asona is the name of a Ghanaian clan of which I descended.

 

Why a crow?

The lineage of the Akan matrilineal clans include ("mmusua", pl,. "Abusua", sing.) major and minor groups. There are seven clans. Each "abusua" is identified with a proper name and a common em-blem, totem or symbol. Asona abusua is represented by the crow with a white chest ("Adene" or "akonkron"). It is the symbol of purity of heart and of eloquence.

 

Why does the crow look back?

My creations are based on what has shaped me and that was my childhood in Ghana. The colors, the patterns, the positive vibration of life.The rear view is the idea that one learns from the past that we can go back to recover the forgotten. The Adinkra symbol for this is "Sankofa", the mythical bird that flies forward with a turned head backwards. An Akan belief says that the past is a guide for future planning, or the wisdom of building from the past for the future.

 

Why in Gold?

Because Ghana and Gold belong together