A renowned Ghanaian artist has raised concerns over the quality of the visual art syllabus being taught in senior high schools.
According to Prince Kojo Hilton, the curriculum is unable to produce the complete artists needed for the fast-changing world.
The multitalented artist indicated that visual art students are limited to just drawing and painting without being introduced to other forms of art.
“The art syllabus we learned in senior high school limits us to only drawing and painting, and even if you’re doing sculpting, it should get to a level where your sculpture should be able to be animated and featured in a film. But most of our sculptors here in Ghana model the thing, and the end bit of it is somewhere, and that’s it,” he said.
Speaking on the Doreen Avio Show on Joy Prime, Mr. Hilton called for the young ones to be encouraged to enter the art industry.
He also wants them to be motivated to be creators and inventors rather than mere painters and sculptors.
“We need to encourage our young folks, our kids, to understand that art is not only about drawing and painting. But artists must be dynamic. You don’t have to learn to be a sculptor or a painter. You must learn to be a creator or an inventor. I don’t just paint. I paint to solve problems,” he added.
Mr. Hilton has worked as a film director, scenic, and special effects artist on different projects around the world.
He has also worked with celebrated Belgian actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme, on “Sense 8” movie in Kenya as a scenic artist.
The NAFTI-trained director has, for the last 12 years, dedicated some time to training and encouraging students in art through his initiative, the Visual Art Students Empowerment Project (VASEP).
“I have dedicated my life to training young artists. I came up with a programme called VASEP, and I tour senior high schools to train them in other aspects of the art. I’m a visual artist, but I went to film school. I’m a NAFTI graduate. I studied art direction and design. I take them through some of the prospects in the area of art and when they see my documentaries, they’re like Mr. Hilton, I want to become a special effect artiste, I want to become a storyboard artist,” he told Doreen Avio.
Mr. Hilton revealed that his works make him feel good, but he is not resting on his laurels in achieving more for himself, the art industry, and his country, Ghana.
