Biography

Asabea is one of the most influential,experienced and professional Ghanaian female artist. Asabea was born on the 11th of September, 1968 in Accra, Ghana. She hails from and grew up in Manfe Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. For her basic education, she moved through the schools; Manfe Presby Primary, Presbyterian Training College (PTC) - Demonstration Primary and then Mampong Christian Unity Preparatory School. Asabea then proceeded to Nifa Senior High School in Adukrom, Ghana where she studied business from the year 1983 to 1988, after which she went to Mount Mary College of Education in Somanya, Ghana where she acquired a Diploma in French Education, from 1989 to 1992. On completion, Asabea went to her station, Apam Catholic J.H.S. in the Central Region of Ghana where she taught French for four years. In 1996, she gained admission to the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana where she first acquired a diploma in education and then after graduating, she and some of her mates were selected to continue with their Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art Education.

Asabea majored in Painting and Sculpture and completed in 2000. In 1999 she was taken on as an art teacher in O'Reilly Senior High School in Accra, Ghana where she taught for ten years, thus 1999 to 2009. Her contributions were very helpful, in the chaplaincy board, and as a housemistress and also as a Head of Department. From O'Reilly Senior High she furthered her education in a Master of Fine Arts Degree in painting and sculpture (MFA) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana from 2009 to 2012.

Asabea expressed that by the time she completed KNUST she had become more of a conceptual artist and so it is obvious in most of her recent works. Asabea also upgraded her French education by studying French at Alliance Francais, Ghana. Soon after gaining her certificates, she considered a Master of Theology programme at the Trinity Theological Seminary – Legon, Ghana, pursued and came out with a First Class in 2017. Asabea lives and works in Accra as an artist, a preacher of the gospel, a marriage counsellor and an art lecturer. She currently lectures art in Accra College of Education, Accra, Ghana as an Art Tutor and she is presently the H.O.D at the Visual Arts Department.

Asabea started practising professionally as an artist in 1996, thus while studying at the University of Education, Winneba. However, before studying art at the University she was already producing works of art. She learnt how to paint and sculpt from her father; the late Emmanuel Asa Anakwa (a Ghanaian artist, who worked with the Ghana National Museum - Accra) and so right from childhood Asabea has always enjoyed painting and sculpting which comes to her naturally.

Asabea asserts that she was born an artist; she has the gift of using things in her immediate environment to produce works of art. As at six years old she saw herself looking on her picture and drawing her self-portrait and things she saw in her environment like people pounding fufu. she usually used clay to mould figurative sculptures of things she saw in her environment such as; a market woman, a child at the riverside or an imaginative composition. Because her father was a sculptor, they usually had clay at home. Asabea’s mother and all her siblings have the innate gift of Art and Creativity. Asabea shared that her father really wanted one of his children to become a Professional Artist. He was so happy to see Asabea excelling professionally in the art field.

Her mother-Mary Impraim who was working at the Ghana National Museum as a technical photographer and textile conservator exposed her to numerous art exhibitions and most art galleries across the country; so upon going to these art exhibitions she observed that there were few practising female artists, however, she was inspired by Marigold Akufo-Addo, Akwele Suma Glory and Dorothy Amenuke . During her MFA degree, her studies and love for women and women’s art increased due to the works and philosophy of Frida Khalo, Tracy Emin, Judy Chicago, female paintings of Betty Acquah and Ofei Nyako.

Asabea is a full member of the Ghana Association of Visual Artists (GAVA) which is one of the agencies under the Ministry of Art and Culture. She is also a full member of the Art Teachers Association of Ghana (ATAG) as well as the Colleges of Education Teachers Association (CETAG). A patron in most art-related clubs as well. She projects her intentions mostly through acrylics, fibreglass and sculptural installations.