In my new book Sika Kokoo, I take you on an intimate journey through my fatherland Ghana, showing you the country and its people through a series of photographs. This visual journal documents the my first encounter with Ghana, two years ago. It portrays the country’s contemporary culture, but also its immense heritage, through symbols and ancient proverbs. The book captures a breathtaking journey of discovery, both of a nation and an identity.
Sika Kokoo means red money in the Ghanaian Twi language, but translates to gold in English. Gold objects have a lot of symbolism in our culture and they portray different proverbs. In Akan culture, gold is considered an earthly counterpart to the sun and the physical manifestation of life’s vital force: Kra (the soul).
With this in mind, my photographs in this book were matched with different gold items from the Akan people (my father’s people). By doing this, I’m building a bridge between the past and the present. I’m showing people that a lot of old proverbs are still relevant today.