African masks have a history almost as long as the continent to which they belong, but an artist in Ghana has given them a whole new twist by making them out of waste. Meet the inimitable Ed Franklin Gavua.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
Advertisement
Master waste mask maker of Ghana
Mask maker of Ghana
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
One voice can make the difference
With his collection of masks, which generally take Ed Franklin Gavua a day to make, he has created a choir of voices, which he is using to shout out his message that the time has come for the people of Ghana to rethink and get on top of their waste situation.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
A long rope to hope
Hope is a central message of the artist's work. He wants his masks to stay with people and help them become more aware of the need not only to deal with trash diffently, but to treat the natural world with greater consideration.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
A mask takes shape
He makes the masks from a mixture of dry leaves, tree glue, and old cardboard boxes. Once he has ground up all the ingredients, he soaks and mashes them until he has a paste he can reshape into a face. They dry quickly in the sun and are as hard-wearing as their wooden counterparts.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
The invisible face
The artist says his work goes beyond trash. He also wants to adress the issue of human waste in the form of those in jail. "We can recycle them too and bring them back to life."
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
Take me as I am
Ed Franklin Gavua says he not only uses the items he finds on the streets himself, but pieces of trash that other people bring to him. "They think, 'maybe Frank can use it,'" he said. And he does, as quickly as possible, for to wait too long means he may never integrate what he finds into his work.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
Portrait of an artist at work
"With my Yiiiikakaii projects I want to raise awareness of the garbage problems in my homeland Ghana," Gavua said. He is also trying to collect money for a recycling project to help clean up the beaches of the capital Accra.
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
Prudent man with a white moustache
"Each mask is a unique collection of a different mental energy and world outlook," the artist says. "It depicts diverse images that capture and express life in today’s world and does not embody or evoke any negative metaphysical connotation."
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
Still strong
"I think the public system can recruit people to show that waste is not waste but a money making venture. I want to show that these things can be avoided by creating jobs through recycling. The recycling dream is becoming exciting."
Image: Ed Franklin Gavua
8 images1 | 8
When he speaks, Ed Franklin Gavua delivers his message with equal measures of consideration and determination.
"Every day, I put a bag in my pocket or take a basket with me in case I see something that gives me the message it can be used for education."
The educational tools he is referring to are dead leaves, old cardboard boxes and some "interesting and challenging" items of waste which he says seem to dare him to pick them up to use in his wild and wonderful alternative African masks.
It all began in 1995, when he "saw the first mask" in his mind, and heard the "Voice of Waste", which is the name he gave his expansive collection, for the first time.
That personal foray into the world of trash transformation has, over the years, become an almost full-time occupation, and his work adorns the walls of private homes, offices, hotels and galleries in Africa, Europe and America.
Mash for masks
The basic substance of the Yiiiiikakaii masks, as they are called, is a paste that Gavua makes by mixing shredded and ground leaves and card with tree glue. He sometimes even peppers the mush with pieces of old plastic bags. The main thing is that all components have been discarded, be it by nature or human hand.
"My art work is used to create awareness for people to rethink how the waste they or their community makes, is used."
The artist and his collectionImage: Ed Franklin Gavua
He sees his masks as a means of stimulating debate and drawing attention to the very real problem of managing rubbish in his native Ghana.
"The main problem is a lack of eduction in our schools and in our homes," he said, adding the authorities don't do enough to create an infrastructure that encourages the population to be more mindful of how they dispose of trash.
His contribution to a solution is to offer community and school workshops, which he says are well received.
"Children are always happy to see me," he said, "because they have the chance to try their hand at something creative."
But he would like to see the government follow his lead and teach school children how they can not only manage but how they can effectively use garbage to generate an income.
