Godfried Donkor

Godfried Donkor (Godfried Kofi Adjei Donkor) yɛ mfoniyɛfoɔ a ɔbɔ ne ho mmɔden pa ara.  Mfoniyɛ ne fa a wɔde nneɛma akeka abom ayɛ anaa kolaage na ɔdi ne nnwuma ahodoɔ pii wom. Saa nnwuma ahodoɔ a wɔayɛ no wɔda no adi wɔ mmeaɛmmeaɛ bi te sɛ *Cuba, Mexico*, Amerika, Europa ne Afrika mu.  

Wɔ afe mpem mmienu ne baako (2001) mu no, ɔsii Ghanaman no anan mu *Venice Biennale* mfonikobrabeaɛ dwumadie bi aseɛ.Wɔasane nso ada ne nnwuma ahodoɔ pii adi wɔ N*ational Museum of African Art* a ɛwɔ *Smithsonian Institution* no mu.  

Nnipa atitire a wɔayɛ wɔn ho mfoni bi ne akoturubɔfoɔ Jack Johnson ne Mohammad Ali. Nnipa pii ka sɛ, sɛdeɛ ɔyɛ n'adwuma no ne mfoniyɛfoɔ Keith Piper ne Isaac Julien deɛ di nsɛ pa ara.

## N'asetena mu nsɛm
Wɔwoo no afe apem aha nkron aduosia nnan (1964) wɔ ɔman Ghana mu na ɔdii mfeɛ nnwɔtwe (8) ɔne n'abusua tu kɔtenaa a London wɔ Ngeresiman *(England)* no mu. Berɛ a na Donkor refiri ne nnwuma wɔ mfoniyɛ mu no, na wɔadi mfeɛ du nnan (14) pɛ na anigyeɛ a na ɔwɔ ma adepam ho no na ɔde firii aseɛ.  Nanso, berɛ rekɔ n'anim no n'akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ tuu no fo sɛ ɔmfa ne ho nyɛ mfoniyɛ adwuma no fa a aka te sɛ mfoniniyɛ mu. Saa a ɔyɛɛ no ma ɔde n'adwene sii mfoniniyɛ so pa ara nanso ɔdɔ a na ɔwɔ ma adepa deɛ wɔato agyaagyaam koraa. 

Ɔfirii ne nwomasua wɔ mfoniyɛ mu aseɛ wɔ *Saint Martin* suapɔn no Kɔleege a ɛsua mfoniyɛ ho adeɛ na ɔtoaa so wɔ *Escola Massana* a ɛwɔ Barcelona, Spain no mu. Donkor nam mfoniyɛ akwan ahodoɔ bi te sɛ mfoniyɛ, nneɛma ahodoɔ a wɔka bom de yɛ mfoni, mfoniyɛ a wɔnam adeɛ timtim so ayɛ, mfonitwa ne deɛ ɛkeka ho so na ɛdi ne dwuma na ɔda nsɛm a ɛfa abakɔsɛm ne nnipa asetena ho nsɛm ɛda adi wɔ Afrika ne Europa adi pa ara.

Nneɛma ahodoɔ a wɔka bom de yɛ mfoni no sei deɛ, wɔka sɛ ɔnyaa ho ɔpɛ berɛ a na ɔwɔ *Saint Martin* suapɔn no Kɔleege a ɛsua mfoniyɛ ho adeɛ berɛ ɔresua sɛdeɛ yɛde biribi gyina hɔ ma biribi wɔ mfoniyɛ mu. 

Donkor ankasa ka mfoniyɛ yi ho asɛm sɛ, "Mfoniyɛ ankasaa deɛ ɛyɛ nwawanwa paa na deɛ wɔaka nneɛma ahodoɔ abom de yɛ mfoni no sei deɛ, nneɛma ahodoɔ yɛde di dwuma wom nom kyerɛ biribi na ɛsane nso kasa kyerɛ yɛn ... saa mfoniyɛ kwan yi, yɛ ɔkwan baako obi tumi da sɛdeɛ ɔte nka di paa na wɔ me fam deɛ, m'anigye sɛ mede mfoni ahodoɔ wɔnni abusuabɔ biara bɛbom ayɛ mfoni de ada tirimpɔ bi adi."

Wei te saa ɛfiri sɛ mfoni ahodoɔ a Donkor yɛɛ no, wɔn mu pii no ara nneɛma ahodoɔ a ɛrekɔ so wɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ Afrika ne Europa asetena mu ne wɔn abakɔsɛm mu. Nsɛm ahodoɔ a ɛfa ɔhaw a ɛreteete wɔn wɔ wɔasetena mu, nnipa a wɔde wɔn di dwa ne sɛdeɛ Abibifoɔ a wɔsane yɛ Amerikafoɔ asetena kwan renya nkɔanim no so.

Mfoni ahodoɔ a ɔnam nneɛma ahodoɔ bi te sɛ leese anaa ahoma a ɛka mpaboa ho, nnwomtoɔ nwoma, koowaa krataa ne deɛ ɛkeka ho a wɔaka abom de ayɛ mfoni no abɛyɛ biribi a nnipa pii de nim no pa ara. Afei nso, Afrikafoɔ a wɔsane yɛ Amɛrikafoɔ a wɔagye din pa ara na ɔtaa gyina wɔn abrabɔ mu nsɛm so hyehyeɛ ne mfoni no ahodoɔ no na saa wɔaye no ama asɛmpɔ a ɛne sɛ obi reko akɔ n'anim wɔ abrabɔ mu ɛmfa ho sɛ ɔrehyia ɔhaw ahodoɔ no. 

Ɛwom, sɛdeɛ na Donkor yɛ ne mfoni asesa deɛ nanso ɔpɛ a na ɔwɔ adepam mu no wɔanto agyaagyaa mu koraa mmom ɔde kaa deɛ na ɔreyɛ no ho. Yei da adi pa ara ne dwumadie a yɛfrɛ no *Jamestown Masquerade Series* no. Saa dwumadie yi mu na ɔdaa ntoma adwenneɛ ahodoɔ pii adi. 

Adwenneɛ atitire baako a ɔyɛɛ faa adepam ho no ne Ghana Bɔɔlobɔkuo ataadeɛ a wɔde sii akanne berɛ bi a atwam wɔ Ghana ha. Ɔgyinaa sɛdeɛ bɔɔlobɔkuo no yɛ wɔn adeɛ bom, wɔn ahoɔden ne ɔman no kɔla ahodoɔ kɔkɔɔ, akokɔsradeɛ (sikakɔkɔɔ) ne ahabammono so na ɛdii ne dwuma no na ɛno na ɔtoo din *Raining Black Stars* no.  

## Adwuma a wɔayɛ
Godfried Donkor ka mfoniyɛfoɔ ho asɛm sɛ nnipa a wɔboaboa nneɛma te sɛ atwerɛdeɛ ne mfoni ahodoɔ pii to hɔ na daakye bi no ɔde yɛ adwuma. Sɛ ɔpɛ sɛ ɔfiri yɛ mfoniyɛ adwuma sei a, ɔdi kan boaboa mfoni ne atwerɛnsɛm ahodoɔ a mpɛn pii no ɔfaa firii mfoni a wɔyɛɛ no bɛyɛ afe 1800 mu ano. Ɔwie a, ɔgyina abakɔsɛm ne nneɛma ahodoɔ a ɛkɔ so mprɛnprɛn wɔ Afrika, Europa ne Karibeane (Caribbean) na ɔto ne bo ase toto ne nneɛma yie ansa na wɔafiri aseɛ ayɛ ne n'adwuma (mfoni).  

Adwuma a ɔyɛɛ a wɔato din *His Slave to Champ and Madonnas* *Series* mu no, ɔdaa mfoni ahodoɔ a ɛfa sɛdeɛ nnipa bi a wɔyɛ Afrikafoɔ sane nso yɛ Amɛrikafoɔ tumi tetee wɔn ho firii nkoasom mu na akyiri wɔdii nkunim wɔ abrabɔ mu te sɛ Muhammad Ali. 

Ɛnyɛ nnipa nkoaa na ɔyɛɛ wɔn ho mfoni mmom nneɛma bi te sɛ frankaa, ɛtuo, bɔɔlobɔ ne deɛ ɛkeka ho nso ɔyɛɛ no saa. Saa adwenneɛ yi ho nhwɛsoɔ ahodoɔ bi a agye din bi ne *The Art of Football, Guns and Bullets ne Financial Times Flags (2004–2008).*

Berɛ a ɔtenaa Nottingham akyi no, Donkor yɛɛ adwenneɛ ahodoɔ bi a yɛfrɛ wɔn O*nce Upon a Time in the West, There Was Lace.* Saa adwenneɛ ahodoɔ yi, ɔde leese (lace) na ɛyɛɛ na wɔada bi adi wɔ *EVA International Ireland’s Biennial of Contemporary Art (2016).* 

Afei, ɔne mfoniyɛfoɔ Allan Davids kaa wɔn ntoma bɔɔ ano na wɔyɛɛ *Jamestown Masquerade* *no.* Saa mfoniyɛ dwumadie yi aseɛ na wɔdaa mfoni a wɔatintim de ayɛ mfoni adi na wɔgyinaa nnwom ahodoɔ bi a wɔyɛɛ no afe ha ɛtɔ so du nnwɔtwe *(18th Century)* mu ne Europa ne Afrika abakɔsɛm so na ɛyɛɛ saa.

Donkor da so ara reyɛ ntoma mfoniyɛ adwuma no ka ne pentini ne nneɛma a wɔboaboa ano de mfoni ho na yei ada adi wɔ afe mpem mmienu ne du nsia (2016) EVA International Biennial dwumadie a ɛkɔɔ so wɔ Irelandman no mu.

## Ɛhibihyin Ahodoɔ bi a wɔatumi ayɛ

#### ''Deɛ ɔno nkoaa ayɛ:''

* *People of Utopia* (2011), ARTCO Gallery Herzogenrath, Germany
* *The Five Court* (2010), Fred, London
* *The Olympians and Muses* (2009), Afronova Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
* *Story of a London Township* (2009)
* London; Financial Times (2007)
* Gorée Festival, Gorée Island, Senegal
* *The Sable Venus and the Black Madonna* (2006), Gallerie 23, Amsterdam, Holland
* *Concerto in Light and Darkness no 1* (2005), National Museum, Ghana (EVA International)

#### ''Deɛ ɔne afoforɔ ayɛ:''

* *STREAMLINES* (2015), Deichtorhallen, Hamburg
* *How Far How Near* (2014), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
* *Speaking of People: Ebony, Jet and Contemporary Art* (2014), Studio Museum, Harlem, New York
* *GOLD* (2012), Museum Belvedere, Vienna, Austria
* *Moving into Space: Football and Art in West Africa* (2012), National Museum of Football, Manchester; Hollandaise (2012), Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam
* *Space and Currencies* (2010), Museum of Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

## Abasobɔdeɛ ahodoɔ a wɔanya
Abasobɔdeɛ ahodoɔ a mfoniyɛfoɔ Donkor anya no bi ne Prix de la Revelation a ne nsa kaa no afe apem aha nkron ne aduonkron nnwɔtwe (1998) mu wɔ Dakar Biennale.

## Baabi a menyaa mmoa firiiɛ

Nkyekyεmu:AfroCuration Ghana 2025