This painting by Frank Nii Amaarh Ashiteye is a veritable artistic masterpiece with an underlying message. The title 'Deadly Obsession' was chosen for this painting because it represents the zeal and passion with which we follow our desires and ambitions, which could be on the negative or positive note as they lead us to our dreams or to our destruction, explains the Ghanaian artist. Every color, every image, every quote and every Adinkra symbol holds a meaning in this acrylic on canvas: The clock symbolizes the 12 months in a year by which a person has to stay to do whatever he or she decides, it also talks about a day when we are actively involved in work, continues Ashiteye. The blue masks symbolize those who use their position for their own selfish desires, whiles the white one represents the opposite. The figure of a woman is also portrayed in the work which depicts what most people say when a man is down in life - that it is all for a woman's love. The quotes include: He who has a why to live can bear almost any how, by Friedrich Nietzsche. The circumstances that surround a man's life are not important. How that man responds to those circumstances IS IMPORTANT. His response is the ultimate determining factor between success and failure, Booker T. Washington The stylized adinkra symbols on the clock include four small circles representing wisdom, knowledge and prudence; next is Gye Nyame, a symbol to declare God's omnipresence; the following one is Akoma or heart, symbol of patience and tolerance. The last one is Adinkrahene, the chief Adinkra symbol which stands for greatness, charisma, and leadership.
Language: English
