Art

#acrylic #painting #pointillism

Innumerable Dots Cloak the Energetic Dancers in Betty Acquah’s Pointillistic Paintings

October 20, 2021

Grace Ebert

“Child at Heart I,” acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40. All images © Betty Acquah, courtesy of Kuaba Gallery, shared with permission

Movement, motion, and emotion permeate the joyful, pointillistic paintings by Ghanaian artist Betty Acquah. Rendering dancing children, costumed troupes, and their surroundings simultaneously, Acquah conveys celebratory moments by cloaking her scenes with countless dots of acrylic. “The background echoes the movement of figures and therefore create(s) a pulsating surface that brings the composition alive,” she tells Colossal. “By extending dabs of color in the subject matter into the background and vice-versa, an illusion of movement is created.”

Each richly layered piece blurs the figures’ defining features, casting them as anonymous, everyday people. “Women are the unsung heroines of the Ghanaian Republic,” says a statement from Kuaba Gallery, which represents the artist. “The images she depicts tell of ordinary women working courageously towards a greater Ghana.”

Born near the Atlantic Ocean, Acquah is currently exploring beachscapes, aerial, abstract compositions, and the connection between younger women and their socioeconomic statuses. You can find more of her recent works at Kuaba Gallery. (via Women’s Art)

 

“Dance Fever,” acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60

“Child at Heart II,” acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40

“Exquisite,” acrylic on canvas, 35 x 83.5

“Banner of Victory,” acrylic on canvas, 40 x 50

“Carefree Days,” acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40

#acrylic #painting #pointillism

 

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