At 75 Ghanaian visual artist Ablade Glover is still painting and exhibiting his creations.
At 75 Ghanaian visual artist Ablade Glover is still painting and exhibiting his creations.
Born in Accra, Glover pictured, is a professor and an internationally celebrated and award-winning visual artist. He was among the artists who took part in the Joburg Art Fair in March.
Known as the father of Ghanaian contemporary art, Glover has spent most of his life teaching and painting. The veteran artist is undoubtedly one of the best African contemporary artist and a master of abstract art.
His work resembles Ghanaian textiles and the dominant features of his canvas relate to textural rather than textile qualities.
Glover's art explores African urban subjects realistically. He is fascinated by and depicts markets, parks and shanty towns.
"Every single painting reveals a double aspect, being an abstract epiphany of colour and detailed rendition of a reality closely observed.
"When you move back from the picture plane, you arrive at a point where the cluttered array suddenly resolves into startling focus. The abstract shapes unexpectedly transform into a sea of faces, a flock of birds, a market scene or townscape," Glover says.
He says once catching that glimpse, the illusion holds and realist ecstasy becomes available for even closer inspection.
"When passing a certain point, the eye again loses track of the total vision. This dissolves back into a painterly sensation, shapes and colours where abstraction once again holds sway. When constantly returning to an observation point, you can judge the effect."
He says that pulling focus back from all particularities of time and space, the painting locates that point where the disorderly event tempers to reveal a different picture.
"The isolated house blends into the village, the individual disappears into the crowd and the endless action is revealed as an instance of eternity," Glover explains.