Ghanaian artist Michael Jackson Blebo enchanted art enthusiasts and cultural connoisseurs at his solo exhibition, “A Thatch of Ochres ” held at the Institute Museum of Ghana on Friday evening, July 12, 2024.
“A Thatch Of Orchres” delves into the fusion of Indigenous traditional culture with modern materials like mirrors and glass, presenting a unique perspective on sustainability and architectural practices.
Speaking at the exhibition to Channel One TV, Michael Jackson Blebo said, “The reason why we see a lot of people here is due to my solo title, A Thatch of Orchres’. It explores an indigenous traditional culture where I incorporate modern materials like mirrors, and glass to fuse in a traditional way of building.”
According to him,“It’s also related to awareness and sustainability. We all know in our country that the prices of cement have hiked, and we are pushing back the kind of materials we are using to build our homes. I believe that’s a reflection of the government and architects who are using traditional organic materials to build our culture,” he noted.
“I realized that Ghana has about a 1.2 billion deficit of homes. I believe this is a perfect place for architects and the government to also explore these ideas in the education of the children and the older residents.” He added
He drew comparisons to other cultures, adding,
“Many a time we watch these movies that we see, Korean series, the Asian movies, and we see that they still maintain the architecture. But for us as Ghanaians and as Africans, our architecture, indigenous African architecture is gradually going extinct. So, I think this is a perfect way to help our community and our environment grow because it’s a way of sustaining our environment.”
He pointed out the economic potential of art, saying, “Art is a big adventure for the economy of any country. Elsewhere, some countries are benefitting from art, not only the show art but music as well. In our country, it’s rather depressing. These are some of the challenges that I believe shortly, we can overcome as a country.”
