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In the wake of more than fifty issues exploring the international Black diaspora, this represents a final piece. The experience proved profoundly gratifying, and sincere gratitude directed to every one of the engaged audience.

Inside Accra Cultural Week

Attending the showcases, artworks and shows of this event, it becomes clear how superior art sustains and builds a country’s history and identity. The centrepiece was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which put his groundbreaking afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that transforms yellow jerrycans into captivating works of art, tapestries of golden hues. The show was created as a tribute to the endurance of the historic district, a historic quarter of Accra.

This area – largely inhabited by the Ga community, a seafaring people – is additionally where many returning Africans came back from Brazil and established themselves in the 19th century. Called the Tabom people, they brought Brazilian language and culture.

Throughout Jamestown, one observes a blend of architectural styles. Standing is Fort Vicentia, boasting its characteristic Portuguese brickwork and arched doorways. One can also see the famous beacon, built in the 1800s and later given its distinctive banded facade.

Customs of Remembrance

Equally remarkable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, be it covering walls or on larger hoardings, there are funeral details and expressions of loss. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, memorial services are large-scale communal events.

In this spectacular show, the entirety of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – particularly in the immersive Jamestown nshonaa piece. Here, visitors are calmed by the sound of crashing waves with granules underfoot, while shacks, draped nets and images of canoes honour its dynamic, multigenerational seafaring tradition. Yet experiencing this exhibition space, one cannot help but think of the heaps of cast-off garments that compromise the beauty and tranquillity of the area.

Beyond the Headline Act

There is much more. Housed in an unfinished structure at the local university, artist Sylvester exhibited a deeply moving minimalist collection, an profoundly affecting, stripped-back exhibition that featured three-dimensional works and canvases created in partnership with metalworkers.

And then there is the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for female Ghanaian artists. It included the inaugural exhibition of a recent winner, whose work utilizes historical documents to craft a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also crowned a latest winner, whose multidisciplinary work is intensely concerned with the craft techniques of women in the Volta region.

A Permanent Presence

Although the global African community has increasingly been pulled back to Ghana in the winter months, an increasing number are contemplating journeying earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the area's artistic calendar. Between Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what you’ll find are art scenes that are not simply emerging or “upcoming” but have built up an entire world that is here to stay.

Finally, the journey leaves one with a perception of Accra that feels like a manifesto for environmental protection and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a resonant tribute to perseverance in all its expressions.