Ghana has steadily become a cultural and artistic hotspot as of late. In terms of music, Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper recently announced plans to launch the first-ever Black Star Line Festival — deemed “a celebration of Pan-Africanism, building bridges between Black people and artists of The Diaspora with The Continent.” Across art, Accra’s own Amoako Boafa unveiled a new multi-purpose art space in the Ghanaian capital that will serve as a hub for the creative community.
Accra is also now home to the Dikan Center, Africa’s largest photography library. Founded by photographer and filmmaker Paul Ninson, the library boasts over 30,000 archival books that he’s collected from across the continent and the African diaspora. Dikan Center also features a photo studio, gallery, classrooms, and space for workshops and a fellowship program aimed at visual artists and documentarians. In an interview with the Guardian, Ninson spoke about the genesis of the non-profit center:
“I started buying African photo books, with the idea of sharing them with young photographers back home, but as my collection grew, it dawned on me that I could create a library dedicated to photography and visual education, so I started reaching out to booksellers for donations. I also received donations from private galleries and collectors.”
Dikan, which means “take the lead” in Asante, was specially chosen to carry Ghana’s rich photography lineage for a new generation of aspiring artists. Stay up to date with the new photography center on Instagram.
