STAMP: Introduce yourself.  Where are you from and what is something you want the world to know about you?
Bright: My name is Bright Tetteh Ackwerh, a 21 year old art student from Ghana in Africa. (the same country whose soccer team beat the Americans twice in two separate world cups! Hehe, I know my interviewers didn’t want me to rub this in but I did anyway, sup J? lol)

STAMP: When did you become interested in art?
Bright: Art for me, has always been what I consider my gift from birth. I used to copy photos from comics books of super heroes and often went to friends homes to watch cartoons as my family had not yet secured a very watchable television.  From there I’d draw any characters I saw in the t.v. My neighbors and friends alike would quickly introduce to me anything that they thought would be of interest. I always thought I’d grow up to be a pilot though, haha! 21 and I still haven’t touched a real plane yet.

STAMP: What is your medium of choice and why?
Bright: I enrolled into the Accra Academy to study visual arts and there I discovered how my desire to make art could be turned into a full blown lifestyle. I practiced anytime I could and I still do. I favoured the use of pencils because it was the medium readily available for use. I also work in oils, watercolour, acrylics, pastels, and anything that’ll leave a mark on a surface.

STAMP: Did you study art at an art school?  If so which one and in what way did that experience help you as an artist?  If not, do you wish you did?
Bright: I’m currently studying art at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(Google that, but don’t believe anything they tell you about my college because it probably wont be a true reflection of what actually goes on there. We don’t even have chairs to sit on there… and that’s true! It’s the best my country has to offer though. I always wished I’d study art at a real 21st 5-star university: what mine is supposed to be, but we’ll see what happens later…).

STAMP: How has your experience been as an artist in your country/city of residence? Are there any demographic limitations or advantages?
Bright: Being an artist in Ghana can be very stressful because the (art)form is not very much appreciated by the people, works mostly only sell to expatriate Europeans and Americans.

STAMP: I have seen you produce some highly detailed art on clothing.  Are you creating a clothing line?  What made you start producing hand painted t-shirts?
Bright: While I was enrolled in the Accra Academy, I was introduced to hip hop culture and its fashion sense (was still buggy clothing and airbrushing at the time). I was suddenly drawn to the genre and I found myself Googling information for procedures to make some airbrushed shirts. It took me a long time to discover YouTube but it caused me pain when I realized only one art store in my whole country had an airbrush for sale which I couldn’t even afford. I quickly did away with my dreams of getting one and went with hand painting on shirts. After several years of practice I discovered how I could paint portraits on shirts that could mimic an airbrushing effect. I opened a small gig back in senior high school and started making shirts on commission for pocket change.

STAMP: What is your process or how do you create your shirts?
Bright: To make a shirt, I’d stretch the shirt on a board and sketch an image unto it, say a portrait, and I’d use acrylics with a technique which closely resembles scumbling in everyday painting, I’d go over several times till it came out good.

STAMP: As an artist, what are the most common setbacks that you’ve faced? (personally, w/medium, w/craft etc)?
Bright: As an artist, coming from where I’m from, I will say the biggest setback I have faced is my late introduction to the world of contemporary art and all its many possibilities. Also the absence of high quality art materials and the funds to acquire them. The absence of a viable art market and art exhibitions in these have seen many art graduates branch into other fields to avoid the frustrations their predecessors faced.

STAMP: Are there any historical or contemporary artists that you specifically admire or that you are inspired by?
Bright: When I started making shirts I was inspired by Frank Hazen and the clothing line Cerbae. I also discovered Mike Thompson through a hip hop publication back in 2004(I tore that page which featured a Nas portrait and I have that piece of paper right now. I just got up to go look at it once more before I came to continue this interview.). I also admire the art of Sebastian Kruger and all my school mates whose names I obviously cant start mentioning. I’m also inspired by the lectures form my Honourable Karichcha Sei’dou(that’s my lecturer in my university, hands down the most learned person I know, period! Kari papa paa!).

STAMP: Have you ever shown in galleries? If so, what was the experience like? If not, how come?
Bright: I haven’t shown in a gallery before because very few of those even exist over here and I’ll have a lot of beards and muscles to beat before I get access to those. But I am planning a one man show next year to graduate.

STAMP: What role do you feel the internet has on art? Positive or negative?
Bright: The internet, with its much negativity has no doubt changed how art can now be accessed by someone like me. Prior to that there was no way I would have seen much of the art that inspire me or get on here to bore you with this story about myself… hehe.

STAMP: Have you ever felt limited or trapped by your style?  With so, much pressure on mainstream art, have you felt peer pressured into conforming?
Bright: Conformity has been a distant issue from my work. Doing what I’m doing now is what I truly want to do. But I’m young and I believe am still developing, so I am with an open mind now. I would sure like to show at a biennale, or documentary sometime in my life and I know to be able to do that I need to be a certain kind of artist which I’m training to be now. We’ll see what the future holds for that dream(hope it doesn’t end up like my pilot dream though.).

STAMP: After viewing your work, what feeling or thought do you want to leave the viewer with?
Bright: After interacting with my work I want a viewer to be fired up to give more of themselves because that’s what I feel when I see peoples works. I wish to inspire the next generation of artists, musicians, physicians, pilots, sportsmen everybody. I want us all to aim higher. I want our predecessors to smile at our efforts from where ever they are now. Word.

STAMP: Do you agree with the overall objective of STAMP Magazine?  Why or Why Not?
Bright: I think you guys at Stamp Magazine are doing a great job with this initiative, I hope all and sudry give whatever support they can to see you guys reach your dreams: unveiling all these talents which other wise wouldn’t have had an effective mouthpiece. Keep our hopes alive.

You see more of this talented young artist’s work on his facebook account at www.facebook.com/bright.ackwerh.  Or contact him by phone at +233208953014.

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