MEANING OF WOOD SCULPTURE DESIGN

Sculptors in Ghana in designing a piece do not design just for the sake of designing. They attach meaning to every design they make. Some of these designs have general meaning while others are peculiar to the sculptor or the client he is working for.

The most popular and common designs most sculptors use in Ghana is the Adinkra symbols. The Adinkra symbols are common to wood sculptors in Ghana as it has a shared meaning.

Adinkra Symbols

These symbols are very traditional and originates from Ghana precisely, the Ashanti region. Therefore, these symbols have become common designs for wood sculptors in Ghana since most Ghanaians can allude to it.

 There are symbols like the “Fawohodie” which means “freedom, emancipation, and independence”. There is also the “Nyame Dua” which means “tree of God” and “Nea onnim no sua a, ohu” which means “he who does not know can know from learning”.

There are other designs that are peculiar to the sculptor. Most wood sculptors in Ghana create certain designs that over time, becomes their signature. They create these designs and give them a meaning. Some designs are also created to suit the client. They design the sculptor to suit the meaning the client wants to attach to it.

Designing in wood sculpture is not done for the fun of it or just for the beautification. It is done to give meaning to the work.

Perspective: Meaning of Wood Sculpture Design

TELEVISION TALK SHOWS IN GHANA

Television has become a very popular phenomenon in Ghana. Not only is there a national broadcaster, there are several private television stations as well. There is the free to view and pay per view. I guess the popularity of television has led to the popularity of talk shows.

Talk shows have flooded the screens of all televisions in Ghana. They range from morning talk shows to midday shows and there are those held in the evenings. The subjects for these talk shows vary. They include politics, relationships, fashion, entertainment and religion.

I really enjoy listening to these talk shows as most of them are very educative, entertaining and informative. My problem is mostly with the political talk shows.

Most of these political talk shows are very biased as only representatives of the two major political parties are invited to air their views. The Ghana I know is made up of more than two political parties, therefore inviting just two parties to speak about their ideologies I think is not representative enough.

Most often, the panelists of these political talk shows are jack of all trades and master of none. They speak on all issues ranging from health, education, finance, agriculture, gender etc. They speak on these issues from fields where they do not have much knowledge.

Despite the fact that most producers of these political talk shows are biased in selecting their panelists, there are a few who make sure that all sides of an issue are brought to light by inviting all the parties involved. They also do well by inviting experts in the field of the subject under discussion.       

Perspective:The Bias Nature of Political Talk Shows in Ghana.                                                                               

HOW WOMEN ARE PORTRAYED IN ADVERTS

There have been several campaigns and awareness created in the media to change certain stereotypes attached to people by reason of their sex. Despite the numerous campaigns and awareness being created to achieve gender equality, there are still people who believe the place of the woman is in the kitchen.

I am not talking about some uneducated man living in a village somewhere who thinks all the girl child is good for is to be a wife. I am actually talking about the educated, those who uphold the concept of gender equality. I am referring to people who have educated their girl child to obtain higher academic laurels. They take them to the best of schools so that they can hold important positions in the future but still hold the notion that a woman’s place is in the Kitchen. I don’t know if it is done consciously or unconsciously.

I believe every advert we see in the media whether prints, electronics or online have two meanings to it, the general and the subtle. The general one would be to sell a product, service or idea. But there are hidden meanings in all advertisement in the media.

I have observed the Ghanaian media for a while now and can confidently say that women are often portrayed as kitchen materials in most of the adverts.  Of course, that is not what the adverts seek to achieve but these stereotypes are fed into our subconscious mind through advertizing.

I have realized that women are used to advertize food and cooking. Women are always used to advertise tomato paste, cooking oil and the like.  No wonder, Gino, Frytol and Maggi, all ingredients of cooking have women at the centre of it. To show how superior the man is to the woman, they also use him to advertize technology and business.

Maybe advertisers have never really thought of the subtle meaning they convey with their adverts. I pray advertisers would be more cautious when creating their adverts so as not to make the efforts of those fighting for gender equality futile.

Perspective: How women are portrayed in adverts.