Accra, April 3, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday extolled the efforts of Ghanaian artists in helping to correct distorted western notions about African culture through their imaginative works. He said the works of distinguished Ghanaian artists such as Saka Acquaye and Oku Ampofo had helped in ideating the country's brand of aesthetes to the rest of the world in radiant terms. Vice President Mahama made these observations when he joined in the celebration of the works of the pioneers of contemporary Ghanaian art at the Artist Alliance Gallery in Accra.

Joined by the famed artist, Professor Ablade Glover, Vice President Mahama spent time at the gallery to savour the works of Saka Acquaye, Amon Kotei, Oku Ampofo, among others, who have used their artistic endeavours to project Ghanaian cultural heritage. These artists have persistently projected an unadulterated image of Ghana.

Collectively, their works have helped to correct racist declarations by some western theorists that Africans have no notion of aestheticism or beauty.

Vice President Mahama lauded Ghanaian artists for helping to entrench an African social and aesthetic viewpoint in the world and asked the younger generation to be inspired by such efforts since art was a weapon of emancipation.

While admitting that economic difficulties had made Ghanaians relegate fine art to the background, the Vice President was of the opinion that this must not be so.

He argued that since it was through imagination that ideas and designs could be generated to tackle complex social problems, the medium must become a key aspect of national development. The Vice President's ideas on art are well situated in African cultural studies.

Indeed, revered Kenyan novelist and theorist of post-colonial literature, Professor Ngugi wa Thiong'o, insists that Africa's political independence could not be total without aesthetic independence, as art, he explained, could serve as a dynamic force in re-interpreting Africa's past.

Speaking to the GNA, Professor Glover made a similar determination, arguing that the promotion of art could help the youth to appreciate better the history of modern Ghana and therefore the measures they must adopt to avoid recurrence of the bitter past. Art, he illustrated, would help Ghanaians envision a better society by using the ideas of the past to work for a better society.