05 August 2016
In 1798, Napoleon invaded Egypt and though the military campaign ultimately ended in failure, his occupation proved to be an influential turning point in art. It created a genre that would eventually become known as Orientalism. European presence encouraged scholars and artists to visit Egypt, North Africa and eventually the Middle East to study and document different cultures, environment...
03 August 2016
In the late 1980s when videocassette recorders (VCRs) started making their way into Ghana, a small cottage industry developed called the ‘mobile cinema.’ The industry was composed of entrepreneurs who were armed with three tools – a TV, VCR and a gas powered portable generator. In the evening they would travel to remote villages or set up an itinerant theater in underserv...
15 July 2016
In the early 1900s, a couple embarked from their home in London to travel south into the heart of Africa. Their friends and relatives called them crazy and eccentric, even deranged, but they always had pity and sympathy in their voices. It was understandable. The couple had just suffered the tremendous loss of twins during child birth. Laura, the mother, had barely survived; and even after...
08 July 2016
Hong Kong, July 1, 1997. The usual bustle of the island city was noticeably subdued, replaced by an almost tangible sense of excitement and nervousness as the citizens stood on the threshold of an historic event. The monsoon rains that swelled from drizzles to downpours could not keep the curious off the streets where enthusiastic supporters as well as wary protestors gathered together. Ve...
01 July 2016
Will you marry me? For some people it’s the biggest question they will ever ask; for others, it’s a question to be repeated multiple times during their lives. Yet, no matter how many times it is asked, this proposal is almost always accompanied by a ring. The tradition of giving and receiving rings has had fashionable, spiritual, and romantic significance for thousands of years...
24 June 2016
That night, Miok and his brothers stole Yerema from her crib and headed across the turbulent strait toward the mainland with only a thin sliver of light from the moon to guide them. Miok tucked the swaddled baby in a large ceremonial bowl that he had carved, hoping the spirit figures etched on its side would give her strength. By the time dawn broke, they were trekking through dense mainla...
17 June 2016
One of the most delicate subjects to talk about is faith – yet everywhere we go, it is present. It might even be said faith is a universal concept, even if how it is applied may differ. One person has faith in one religion, one person another religion; one person believes in one particular god, another believes something altogether different. Teachings may differ, but the idea of fai...
03 June 2016
As the Ashanti chiefs gathered for a strategic meeting the anticipation of certain victory was almost tangible. Several chiefs were already whispering among themselves about the plans they had for their states after the Denkyira were overthrown. Osei Tutu arrived with his trusted advisor and priest, Okomfo Anokye, and sat before the chiefs. Anokye was greatly respected as a wise prophet. M...
27 May 2016
In the early parts of the 20th century and far removed from the political and military turmoil shaking the foundations of Imperial China, life in the small outlying villages of the southwest region remained largely unchanged. Isolated by the mountainous terrain, these villages were home to an ethnic minority called the Miao. Night had fallen, but a flicker of light could still be seen in o...
19 May 2016
Several years ago I found myself in the home of a jute factory owner near the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India. The interior furnishings were strikingly ornate and surprisingly reminiscent of European style. A gilt console table stood near a large matching mirror. Several old school landscape paintings decorated the walls. High ceiling arches were supported by sleek white colu...