The Obstacles Around (2021) Drawing by Richard Owusu Amankwah

To some, this is just another piece of art. To me, it’s more than art. I completed this piece during the most challenging moments in life- I was hit with severe abscess on my waist line which finally led to a surgery. Prior to the surgery when I initiated this piece, I couldn’t really sit, stand or even sleep properly. My condition became an obstacle that I had to overcome.

The life in my country propelled me to compose this beautiful piece you’re seeing.
The hand covering the forehead signifies an obstacle in the acquisition and application of knowledge. The educational system in my country limits the application of knowledge. Education has been almost theoretical which makes integration into the real world a very challenging one. Most university graduates come out of school unskilled and highly inexperienced. Also there is a limited availability and access to resources that will expose students to modern technology and science.
In my country, some school under trees, some walk several kilometers before arriving at school and some do not have access to electricity.

The eye is the light of the face making vision impossible when the eyes are blocked. The youth begin life with many ambitions and goals. While some have wild ambitions that cross the boarders of this country, others have mediocre dreams. However small the dream may be, both are faced with similar hurdles- political distractions, economic hardships and pressure from society. The economic situation of country has made so many abandon their dreams. Many find themselves in jobs they never planned of doing just to earn a daily bread. They get so wind up in work that as the days go by, many of them give up on their life’s goals. The hardship is so severe that it’ll cloud your vision and you can easily lose your way.

It is expected to SAY NO when you are faced with overwhelming conditions. It has not been easy to say NO. Many females can not speak in their homes because of outmoded traditions. The young can not question the adult who does wrong because doing so makes you a deviant child. This tradition has transcended to the political front. Workers cannot say NO to a corrupt bosses, the state cannot hold corrupt civil servants accountable for their actions. In silence do we perish.

This is more than art!!!