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Rolland Eyram Wemegah

"I was born in London on May 7, 1970. My parents were living in England. My father was having his education. I didn't have any formal education there. I was told by my parents that I was brought to Ghana when I was 5 years old. When they moved back my parents resettled in Kpando in the Volta region of Ghana. I practically had all my education in the Volta Region.

"Instead of completing Middle School, I enrolled at a Secondary School in 1984, Anfoega Secondary School in the Volta Region of Ghana. After a year's stay, I transferred to Kpando Secondary School, where I acquired both my Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates. Afterwards, I did my National Service at the Kpando District library in 1993. I was admitted into the College of Art at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana in 1994. I took a course in art specializing in painting. I'm presently undertaking my National Service at the Garden City Radio in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

"I realized as early as age 8 that I had a profound interest in drawing. Thus during my entire education I never left art as a subject out. This interest spurred me on to develop my natural talent into a skill. I'm into 'Figurative Expression,' which has to do with representing figures with strokes. I use large brush strokes without a definite definition, thus using a few strokes to represent my ideas. I've also developed my drawing abilities.

"In search of an identity and character for my work and myself, I've developed certain techniques, the Cowrie Aesthetics and the Scorching Aesthetics. The Cowrie Aesthetics has to do with motifs that are developed from cowries, abstract Adinkra symbols, ancient Ashanti architectural symbols and abstract symbols that I've developed. The architectural symbols are employed as decorative pieces on the buildings of ancient Ashanti, the same idea is employed here, except this is on paper. I use black Indian ink for this work.

"As I developed this style, I came up with another that I call 'Scorching Aesthetics.' In Scorching Aesthetics I use hot iron to create symbols on paper. In developing this idea, I first thought of the possibility of burning the paper with a hot iron. When I tried it out, I realized the paper had a certain level of resistance. Scorching is the art of using hot iron or metal tips to create an art piece through partial burning of the material being used. Aesthetics has to do with a level of beauty and creativity. Thus Scorching Aesthetics has to do with using hot irons to create motifs or designs of beauty. When I begin to scorch, my mind is vague as to the motifs I'll represent. As I go on scorching the motifs are gradually woven into the work. I use various iron tips, which gives the work freedom of identity and creativity. As time goes on I perfect my work, thus I create a balance between abstract and figurative expression.

"I use watercolors and acrylics. I'm fascinated with seascapes, rivers, landscapes, and the forest. I particularly love the sea, there's this mystique with it, the birds and the music from the waves gives me much pleasure. I travel to Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana to take photos of the sea. I have an extensive collection of seascape paintings. The Kpando Tokor is a river in Kpando in the Volta Region of Ghana. I have an extensive collection of paintings of this river. I'm planning on a tour of the North African region, to study the people, their culture, and their arts. These themes I hope to paint.

"I'm a D.J. and a radio presenter at Garden City Radio in Kumasi, located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, as part of my national service."