Woori 2024
This 3-day festival fosters artistic innovation and community pride. Attendees experience live weaving demonstrations, skill transfer workshops, music concerts, poetry performances, film screenings and art exhibitions.
Experience the 2024 Woori Festival: curatorial text here and view the event gallery here.
Overview
“Woori 2024 Festival: Weaving a Sustainable Future in Wa, Ghana”
The Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay proudly presents the Woori 2024 Festival, celebrating Ghanaian weaving traditions from March 1st to 3rd under the theme “Weaving a Sustainable Future for the Next Generation.”
The festival showcases traditional and contemporary weaving techniques through workshops led by master weavers from Nadowli, Nandom, and Wa Methodist School for the Blind. Live demonstrations offer firsthand experiences of Ghanaian textile creation, while youth-friendly activities ensure engagement.
An art exhibition features diverse woven fabric and textile designs, alongside works by contemporary Ghanaian artists like Isaac Opoku and Patrick Tagoe-Turkson. Panel discussions explore weaving’s cultural identity and sustainable development. Evening sessions include cultural performances, music, dance, film screenings, and spoken word poetry by artists such as Wiyaala and Kparisaga Bawaa Group. As part of the festival, attendees can tour historic sites and weaving centres in Wa to support local artisans. Woori Festival 2024 is more than a celebration; it’s a platform for dialogue, learning, and inspiration.
Join us in Wa to experience the beauty and diversity of Ghanaian textile art. The Nubuke Foundation expresses gratitude to sponsors, including The Waa Naa, Loho Naa, The Centre for National Culture, and the local community of Wa.
Read the full curatorial text here and view the event gallery here.
Koakh Senyati (b. 1997) is a self-taught artist well known for his interesting approach to painting on wood. His artistic journey was inspired through a father-son tutelage which involved a four-year collaboration with his father, Frederick Oko Matey, a renowned Ghanaian sculptor. Senyati’s initial apprenticeship has seen him embrace an artistic path marked by his passion for merging painting and sculpture. This passion led to profound personal growth and creative exploration in unconventional materials and painting techniques. Senyati's primary medium, wood, particularly mansonia and other resilient hardwoods, speaks to his deep appreciation for natural materials. His works, characterised by their timeless elegance, reflect a deep symbiotic relationship between the artist and his chosen materials and medium of expression. Apart from the textured geometric strips, colourful paint drips and abstract geometric shapes which dominate Senyati’s works, there is a clear manifestation of an imaginative and creative mind at play. The tools he employs produce the maze-like quality and intricate designs which bear a striking similarity to textured fabric patterns and an aerial view of a cityscape on a colourful map. Demonstrating his flexibility in experimenting with both medium and materials, he seamlessly incorporates unconventional materials into his art, including metal screws, bolts, nuts, and recycled plastic screens from LED televisions, which allows him to develop unique visual narratives imbued with creative thinking and innovation. Beyond the rich aesthetics of his compositions on wood, his works delve into themes of authority, complexity and the unseen, inviting viewers to look beyond the colour lines, patterns, shapes, crevices, grooves and abstract forms to uncover the stories of each piece. His work not only challenges perceptions but also positions Koakh Senyati as an emerging artist of significant interest in the contemporary art world. Every piece he sculpts and paints is an ongoing dialogue, not just with the observer but with the broader issues of waste,
sustainability, social connections and our relationship with the environment.Painting
Sculpture
Selected Work
Amelia Cherbu (b. 2003) is a young multidisciplinary artist who is passionate about animation and digital illustrations. She is currently a third-year student studying multimedia production at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (IFT) in Accra. As a young child, she discovered her love for art through the colourful illustrations she admired in the comic books and children's literature she read, shaping her into a skilled illustrator and storyboard artist in her teens. Amelia’s creative output is mainly driven by the skills and proficiency she has honed in drawing and illustration through constant practice. She enjoys working through digital studio techniques, which involve drawing and colouring on a drawing tablet with a stylus. But she still relies on traditional tools and materials like paper, pencils, sketchbooks, and ink pens to create her visually engaging illustrations, storyboards, comic art, textile designs, and animation, which makes her a versatile artist, proficient in both digital and traditional media. She forms part of the new generation of Ghanaian digital artists hoping to reshape African visual narratives through design, digital illustrations and visual storytelling. Her digital illustrations explore themes of adventure, urban youth culture, dreamscapes, fantasy, and human connections. Focused on exploring visual storytelling, Amelia is constantly working to use her digital illustration skills to address social issues, which allows her to push beyond her creative boundaries. Her commitment to evolving creatively is evident as she experiments with new techniques, experimental approaches, and innovative digital tools. Driven by curiosity and a deep passion for art, Amelia aims to contribute to African visual culture and social development through digital art projects.Digital Illustration
Edmund Anyebuno is a multidisciplinary artist with a passion for creating art that goes beyond traditional boundaries. His works are blends of several mediums like photography, graphic design, 3D Modeling and textiles design. He draws inspiration from his surroundings, nature. With his ability to pay attention to details, Edmund has improved his skills through hands-on projects, creatives tasks as a student of multimedia production. Edmund is constantly seeking new ways to push boundaries and has dedicated to his craft with the willingness to experiment with new materials, technologies, and techniques in the field of multimedia. Looking towards the future, Edmund is eager to continue expanding his portfolio and exploring new opportunities within the multimedia production industry. With a strong foundation in both technical skills and artistic vision. He is currently a third-year student at the Multimedia Production Department at the University of Media Arts and Communication, Institute of Film and Television.
Graphic Design
3D Modeling
Textile Design
Muzeyi Yelyen is an illustrator, designer and writer currently based in Wa, Ghana. He has a love for storytelling, this saw him completing a BA in Publishing Studies from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with emphasis on Design and Illustration. He was awarded the best Design and Illustration student of his class. Since then, he has worked in the publishing industry and related creative industries lending his skills to create illustrations and designs to communicate stories and ideas. He is interested in reimagining the cultural wealth of the African society through digital illustration, to create reminiscent stories of our past and present and thus create a sense of connection and wonder between people and their heritage. He is inspired by his own roots which are expressed in some of his artworks, as our roots are what tether us to our current reality and what helps create our future. He is most often found engaged in books, history, art, nature, and good movies.
Digital Illustration
Selected Work
AFROSCOPE (Isaac Nana Opoku) has been practicing as a creative professional for over a decade, working as a multidisciplinary artist and designer and as a social entrepreneur. In his work, he explores a range of themes, including decolonization, oneness, information overload, and most recently, the concept of deep adaptation. He engages with these topics in very experimental and speculative ways and utilises both digital technologies and traditional analog media in his process. Community and collaboration are also core aspects of his practice: He is a part of various creative teams and cultural organisations, and also works closely with indigenous artisans across Ghana. He has also worked with brands like Apple and Adobe, and has co-founded impact organisations such as House of Stole, Cocoa360 and Small Hype. AFROSCOPE represented Ghana at the Venice Biennale (April 2022), has shown work at 1-54 London (October 2023), at Museum Ostwall in Dortmund (December 2021), at the 21st Century Museum Kanazawa (November 2023), and in several other exhibitions as well.Sculpture
Digital Art
Mixed Media
Selected Work
Rafael Kouto, who lives and works between Lausanne, Zürich (CH), and Venice (IT), is Swiss with Togolese and Ghanaian origins. He is a creative director, fashion & textile designer, as well as a researcher in upcycling methods, sustainable and engaging strategies with a particular focus on open source and craftsmanship. He studied Fashion Design at FHNW-HGK in Basel, earning an MA in Fashion Matters from the Sandberg Institut in Amsterdam. He has had various work experiences at Alexander McQueen, Maison Martin Margiela, Carven, and Ethical Fashion Initiative. In 2017, he founded the avant-garde upcycling couture brand of the same name, of which he leads the creative direction, the development of strategies, collaborations, and engaging projects for the promotion of upcycling and sustainability through the use of textile waste, dead stock, and other materials in the creative and production process. The promotion of upcycling takes place through workshops in collaboration with various institutions and through teaching as an associate professor in Fashion Design at the IUAV in Venice. He collaborated as a consultant at the Education and Learning Office at Fondazione ITS - International Talent Support in Trieste (IT) for the creation and planning of the activities, courses, workshops, and special projects with past finalists and local artisans. During his residencies at TaDA in Arbon, Istituto Svizzero in Milan, Lottozero in Prato, and VU.CH in Lausanne, he developed participatory projects, installations, and research related to sustainability, upcycling, fashion and textile history, engaging with local communities. He’s currently doing a research project in Ghana and Nigeria about upcycling by contemporary West African artists & fashion designers, decolonisation in fashion & textiles, and traditional crafts & rituals. In collaboration with The Noldor Residency, The OR Foundation, Kokrobitey Institute, and Guest Artists Space Foundation. The residency is supported by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, the Swiss Arts Council.Textile Design
Fashion Design
Selected Work
Patrick Tagoe-Turkson is a multi-disciplinary artist, teacher, and activist who grew up in the Effutu State of Winneba in Ghana. He became fascinated with his historical traditional flag art concepts at an early age. This led to his earlier research and art projects in contemporary Asafo flag art, which eventually progressed into working with found upcycled flip-flops collected from beaches in his neighbourhood. A lover of nature, Patrick has been actively involved in creating with natural materials since the year 1999, when he began working with communities, children, nature art groups/organisations, and artists locally and internationally to create art from and with nature. Some of his remarkable recent projects include: Generations Woven, 2023, in Ghana; Is Everything OK, 2022, in the United Kingdom; I Have Seen Things, 2021, in Mexico; Akikakika, 2021, in Ghana; From The Jail Walls: In the Mind of a Prisoner, 2019, in India; and Repurposed, 2019, in the USA. Other projects include: Emotional Massage, 2019 in Germany, Cloth for a Dying Tree, 2018 in Japan, and Kumasi Curios Slipper Kiosk Intervention, 2009 in Ghana. Patrick has also exhibited in Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, South Africa, Australia, Italy, Poland, France, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Korea, Turkey, and Switzerland. His work is in private collections and museums across the globe. Patrick holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the College of Art (KNUST), Ghana.Painting
Collage
Selected Work
I am Katesi Jacqueline Kalange, a 27-year-old, female, process based visual artist from Uganda. I hold a master’s degree in Art and Industrial Design from Kyambogo University, Uganda. My work weaves together sculpture, architecture, installation and performance art. Drawing deeply from African indigenous wisdom, I am fascinated by its historical role in nurturing harmonious coexistence among humans and other beings within shared ecosystems. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 11 that advocate for climate action, and sustainable cities and communities respectively, my artistic journey is interwoven with community-driven collaborations. I strive to spark public conversations about the intricate interplay between humans and their environment. Amid Uganda's pressing waste management concerns, especially the proliferation of non-biodegradable materials like plastics and second-hand clothes, my art pivots towards recycling and upcycling inspired by indigenous weaving techniques. In today's swiftly changing world, where modernity often overshadows traditional wisdom, our existence and that of other life forms confront unparalleled challenges. My artworks transcend visual appeal and become archives of ancestral knowledge, reigniting appreciation of the principles and values that facilitated our ancestors' harmonious coexistence with other beings. By skillfully reimagining the profound interconnectedness our predecessors shared with the environment, my creations invite contemplation on unlearning prevailing views that treat nature as mere exploitable resources. My art seeks to realign such perspectives with reverence for all life forms through echoing indigenous knowledge as a cornerstone from which to propel technological progress and other advancements within our contemporary society.Sculpture
Architecture
Installation
Performance
Selected Work
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Nubuke Foundation Centre for Textiles and Clay, Wa ⋅ 2026