Gold, Greed, and Glimmer in Ghana: The Inspiration

For my mask, I decided to demonstrate the contrast between the vibrant and diverse culture of the African continent with the greed and gold-lust of the European imperialists. The blue background and white stars and stripes of the right side of the face are meant to mirror the flag of the European Union, as a generalized flag of the West. The gold foil surrounding the right eye of the European semi-face points to the greed of the Europeans, and their singular goal of amassing wealth from the immense natural resources native to Africa. In particular, gold in the “Gold Coast” of Ghana was at the forefront of the minds of the Europeans. This colonialist history is only a part of the history of Ghana. The left side of the face, the collage of vibrant fabrics, are meant to symbolize the resilience of the people of Africa. In spite of how much was taken from them in the form of their natural resources, and even their people in the form of slavery, African culture remains as beautiful as ever. Bright and colorful clothing is often associated with Africa, and with dozens of languages used throughout Ghana, the diverse array of fabrics used suggest the ability of all of these sub-cultures to blend together seamlessly, and beautifully.