Meet Oscar Mawuli, Ghanaian artist who creates awareness about breast cancer with his work
Cape Town – Oscar Mawuli, is a 23-year old digital artist, painter, body artist and Youtuber from Accra in Ghana.
Speaking to IOL, Mawuli says his latest installation is his artistic expression that creates creating awareness about breast cancer by illustrating how breast health plays a vital role in nursing children as well as during sex.
Mawuli is the owner of Yonga Arts based in Accra.
“I like to explore environments that encourage creative expression.”
In his latest piece he captures a woman, elegantly body painted and looking like a superhero ready to fight for the awareness of breast cancer.
Mawuli says that this particular piece, resembles a superhero ready to take on one of Africa's most silent killers.
“In one of the pieces, the lady can be seen levitating with a rope attached to her breast, which is connected to the mouth of the male model kneeling before her.
"This is my way of expressing how powerful female breasts are, hence it’s important to keep it healthy and go for regular check ups,“ he said.
Mawuli says that art has always been around him since early his childhood days.
Mawuli doesn’t shy away from tackling topics such as colonialism, Black Lives Matter and human rights.
He has used his artwork to explore pre-colonial culture but also addresses decolonised practices in contemporary culture, the essence of the identity of black bodies, and seeks to ask searching questions about empowerment.
Mawuli received his elementary education at Senajoy Preparatory School in Accra, after which he studied Visual Arts at Mawuli School in the Volta region.
He is currently reading commercial arts in painting at Takoradi Technical University in Ghana.
With 1.7 million women diagnosed each year, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, according to CANSA.
chad.williams@inl.co.za
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