Nananom –
collaboration with @nanabowia
African tradition and thought consider spirits to be elements of power, strength, authority and vital energy underlying all existence. Therefore, there is great fear of what happens in the unseen world, because spirits are known to operate in this realm. Although this power is invisible, Africans perceive it directly. This led to the adoption of all manner of strategies in order to get closer to Onjankopen, the “supreme being”, so that the necessary support and protection could be obtained. Without the spirits, Achan feels he has no way to reach God. As Christians, we possess a special spiritual family history that can be traced not through a DNA test, but through an ancient text. In recent years, the business of tracing genealogies has exploded, with technology allowing us to research and connect our ancestral dots like never before. By sending a small sample of DNA, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to glimpse their personal history and learn about their ancestors. Because of our natural curiosity about our origins, an entire industry has sprung up, happy to present us with easy access to answers that were once hard to come by, while limiting religious customs, rituals and movements, as well as the close relationship that exists between family and inheritance law.
In this performance I will present my perception of the elements of the Diets and some other spirit beings in Akan spiritual cosmology and the various roles they play in human affairs.
Nananom, a performance piece that aims to demonstrate some elements of some Ghanaian deities namely; Atia Nframa, Bour, Apumasu and Diawuo. This performance will display symbols, props, makeup for each of these spirits. The show is a collaboration between Julius Simona, both artists in residence. Simona who works on the painting will perform a live painting of her expression and perception of Nananom with various elements, props, costumes and make-up of the spirits.
Love fEAST 2024
Let’s make love, not war!
