Kuenyehia Trust for Contemporary Art
Opinion
6 minutes read
The Kuenyehia Trust for Contemporary Art (KTCA), in partnership with the Philanthropic Consortium, has completed three phases of the ArtVantage project, an inaugural capacity-building programme created to equip young Ghanaian artists with the creative, business, and professional skills needed to thrive in today’s global art ecosystem.
Designed for Ghanaian artists between the ages of 18 and 25, ArtVantage is more than a training programme; it is an investment in the future of Ghana’s creative industry. Structured across four progressive phases, the initiative combines talent discovery, professional development, mentorship, and a public seminar to prepare emerging artists for sustainable careers.
Discovering Ghana’s emerging creative talent
The journey began in March 2026 with an open call that attracted an overwhelming response from young artists across the country. Forty-seven applications were received, including 33 from eligible Ghanaian applicants. Each applicant submitted an artist biography, an artist statement, and three original works for assessment.
After a thorough review process, 30 exceptional artists were chosen to join the program, showcasing talent from Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and various other regions of Ghana. This cohort captures the vibrant diversity and richness of the country’s contemporary art landscape.
The selected artists are: Joseph Takyi Ansah Prah, Nii Doudo Darko, Sedinam Gbeku, Emmanuel Linford, Daniel Okwan, Afrifa Anane, Juliet Appiah, Isaac Effah, Prince Badu-Botha, Putin Bempong, Rasheed Zakariah, Jemima Fosua Gaisie, Margaret Boamah, Abdul Rashid Mohammed, Dameteye Albert Doetse, Franchesca Danso, Derrick Akuamoah, Kiki Kwamuar Setordzi, Emmanuel Cudi Abakah, Umar Maleewa Yakubu, Meg Sackey, Emmanuel Arthur, King David Osabutey, Bigland Quartey, Priscilla Agbeti, Vera Aligebam, Ebenezer Quaye, Winston Promise, Harriet Ntim, and Alexander Hazlo.
Building artists beyond the studio
With the cohort selected, ArtVantage moved into its second phase—a series of four intensive online workshops designed to bridge the gap between artistic talent and professional success.
By delivering the sessions virtually, KTCA removed geographical and financial barriers, enabling artists from every corner of the country to learn together regardless of location.
The training explored some of the most important but often overlooked aspects of building a successful artistic career.
Participants first examined the realities of Ghana’s evolving creative economy during Digital Economy & The Ghanaian Artist, facilitated by Mr. Nii Dzatsui Glover, an Art Market Specialist with academic credentials from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and KNUST. Drawing on his experience at Artists Alliance Gallery, he introduced participants to the commercial realities of today’s art market.
The artists then gained practical legal knowledge through Art as Intellectual Property: The Legalities of Art, led by Ms. Ekua Hayfron-Benjamin, Senior Partner at HB&O Legal PRUC. The session equipped participants with a stronger understanding of copyright protection, contracts, licensing, and the legal frameworks that safeguard creative work.
Building on these discussions, Mr. Glover returned to facilitate Creating Value for Art in a Global Creative Economy, where participants explored professional branding, market positioning, and strategies for sustaining long-term careers within the international creative industry.
The final workshop, Leveraging the Business Innovative Model Canvas for Creative Business Success, was facilitated by Mr. Daniel Kwabena Owusu, Managing Partner of Misfits Consulting and a trainer with credentials from Google, Harvard, and MIT Sloan. Participants were challenged to think beyond artistic production and begin viewing their practice as a sustainable creative enterprise.
A fitting conclusion to the online training came through a private exhibition organised by KTCA in partnership with the Honorary Consulate of Finland in Accra. The exhibition showcased early works developed by participants and provided an opportunity to celebrate their progress while introducing their practice to invited stakeholders.
The journey continues
Having completed the first two phases, the project entered its third phase, one of its most anticipated stages: the in-person mentorship programme.
This phase provided participants with direct engagement with KTCA Prize alumni and established industry professionals, who mentored them. This mentorship combined practical creative experience with institutional expertise.
Across four intensive sessions, participants explored:
Foundation & Mindset Reset
Leveraging the Business Innovation Model Canvas for Creative Business Success
Production & Professional Practice
Mentorship Engagement, Presentation, Accountability & Future Path
Alongside group learning, every artist benefited from dedicated one-on-one mentorship tailored to their individual creative journey, providing guidance that extended beyond technical development to long-term professional growth.
The programme was led by mentors and resource speakers Issaq Ishmail, Daniel, and Dela Anyah, who brought their creative and industry expertise to guide participants through this stage of the journey.
Isshaq Ismail (b. 1989) lives and works in Accra, Ghana. For over a decade, he has returned to the human figure, placing it front and centre and holding it there. The scale remains constant; the composition rarely shifts. Within that fixed structure, even small changes in colour or proportion carry weight, with exaggeration and misalignment deliberately pressing the figure towards its limits without letting it fall apart. He approaches the figure quietly and methodically, with no attempt to reveal an inner truth; instead, his works acknowledge the performative nature of the face — how identity is staged, adjusted and maintained. Over time, he has developed a language that resists spectacle without softening its tension: a sustained study of form, colour and awkward beauty.
Dela Anyah is an artist and researcher based in Accra, Ghana, working across inner tube textile works, bronze sculpture, installation, moving image and works on paper. His practice is grounded in the contemporary history of the tyre industry — trade, labour, migration patterns and waste. His writing has appeared in Thresholds (MIT Press), Adjacent (NYU ITP) and LIMN Magazine. He is a 2026 Building Beyond Fellow of the Prince Claus Fund and Second Runner-Up of the Kuenyehia Prize (’23), with works held in the Celine Art Project, Sir David Adjaye Collection and Fischer Shull Collection.
About the philanthropic consortium
Founded in 2023 during TOP CHARITY and initiated by Omena Mensah and Rafał Brzoska, the Philanthropic Consortium brings together business leaders, art patrons, and philanthropists around a shared mission of meaningful social impact.
The Consortium creates a collaborative space for leaders and organisations committed to real, lasting change by combining expertise from entrepreneurship, culture, and philanthropy.
Through joint initiatives, grants, and partnerships, the Philanthropic Consortium supports social, educational, and cultural projects with measurable impact. Its mission is to professionalise philanthropy, strengthen a culture of collaboration, and help ensure that support is effective, systemic, and long-term.
Looking ahead to telling tall stories
ArtVantage will culminate in August 2026 with Telling Tall Stories, a curated public seminar showcasing some of the works developed throughout the programme.
The event will bring together collectors, arts professionals, cultural stakeholders, media, and the wider public for an event that celebrates the creativity and growth of Ghana’s emerging artists. Beyond displaying artwork, the seminar will create opportunities for professional networking, community dialogue, collector engagement, and meaningful conversations about the future of contemporary art in Ghana.
As ArtVantage progresses into its final stages, KTCA remains committed to nurturing a new generation of artists equipped not only to create exceptional work but also to build sustainable careers that contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s growing creative economy.
