Ansa's Story
ANSA’S STORY captures the portrait of a woman who reflects power, history and life. Her skin, similar to revolutionaries found on a banknote highlights her wealth and ability to lead nations. Her vibrancy and complexities are simultaneously celebrated in her aura. Ansa is an ancestor as well as a leader. Ansa is a black woman
Hahnemuhle German Etching - Matt / 310gsm, A heavy-duty paper with a more textured finish than Photorag, a velvety matt surface, and a warm white hue with traits of a traditional artist board — reproduces painterly images, lithographs and pastels superbly.
Illustrated by Naki Narh
ANSA’S STORY captures the portrait of a woman who reflects power, history and life. Her skin, similar to revolutionaries found on a banknote highlights her wealth and ability to lead nations. Her vibrancy and complexities are simultaneously celebrated in her aura. Ansa is an ancestor as well as a leader. Ansa is a black woman
Hahnemuhle German Etching - Matt / 310gsm, A heavy-duty paper with a more textured finish than Photorag, a velvety matt surface, and a warm white hue with traits of a traditional artist board — reproduces painterly images, lithographs and pastels superbly.
Illustrated by Naki Narh
ANSA’S STORY captures the portrait of a woman who reflects power, history and life. Her skin, similar to revolutionaries found on a banknote highlights her wealth and ability to lead nations. Her vibrancy and complexities are simultaneously celebrated in her aura. Ansa is an ancestor as well as a leader. Ansa is a black woman
Hahnemuhle German Etching - Matt / 310gsm, A heavy-duty paper with a more textured finish than Photorag, a velvety matt surface, and a warm white hue with traits of a traditional artist board — reproduces painterly images, lithographs and pastels superbly.
Illustrated by Naki Narh
ANSA’S STORY captures the portrait of a woman who reflects power, history and life. Her skin, similar to revolutionaries found on a banknote highlights her wealth and ability to lead nations. Her vibrancy and complexities are simultaneously celebrated in her aura. Ansa is an ancestor as well as a leader. Ansa is a black woman.
Her name, Ansa, not only contributes to the play on the word ancestor in the tiles but also alludes to the name Mansa, a Ghanaian name, which means 3rd born in the Ghanaian context. I chose the 3rd born as a form of the continuation of power, lineage and ancestry. She is not the first and also will not be the last of many greats.
The patterns on her face can also symbolise tribal markings laying emphasis on the cultural significance of a tribe, family or patrilineal heritage.
She is also placed on a background of colourful shapes and patterns which I decided to shape in rectangles and larger drawn patterns as a reminder that, though we are all very similar in the way we may appear, we are all very unique and have the opportunity to leave marks or in this case, patterns in the world after we leave.