Artist burns masterpieces worth billions of cedis

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - Zima Manyenzi, a Ghanaian Artist, on Tuesday night, burnt 24 of his masterpieces estimated at about three million dollars amidst mixed feelings and protests by friends and journalists.

This was at a ceremony dubbed Fire day, organised by Zima, who requested in writing to journalists that his identity and reasons for that action should remain shrouded in mystery until an appointed time.

Zima, who has been an artist for 27 years, however told newsmen that the artefacts, comprising of oil paintings, were between eight to 12 years old. Invited guests at the ceremony, including Mr J. S. Addo, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, looked on with sadness, while others sighed in protest as Zima arranged the "priceless" artefacts, poured gallons of kerosene on them, surrounded them with dry grass and set fire to them.

The sadness was even hyped as the beautiful painting burnt into ashes in the presence of people, who requested to have them for gifts. Earlier, a passionate appeal initiated by Mr Kumah Drah of Radio Ghana to Zima to either donate the artefacts to charity or to the National Museum had delayed the burning process.

Zima, who has been described as probably the greatest living African artists, however, convinced his guests that his unprecedented action is a carefully considered one.

He refused to answer several searching questions from newsmen, saying, "this is a moment of sober reflection". Mr J. S. Addo, Chairman and Managing Director of Prudential Bank, speaking on behalf of Zima estimated the value of the artefacts at three million dollars, adding that the burning process is meant to inspire the artist to attain higher standards in his carrier.

"I actually threatened him that he was going to lose my friendship if he went ahead to burn those priceless masterpieces, but Zima was able to convince me that the process would inspire him to create better ones in the future".

Mr Addo noted that the burning process was not because Zima's works have no patronage, saying that wherever his works are exhibited around the world, they received very high patronage. He assured Zima that as he enters the second phase of his career, Prudential Bank would be willing to provide him packaging and shipment credit for export of his works. "This opportunity is available to all artists and handicraft dealers".

Dr Armah Josiah-Aryeh, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana, in an address noted that "such a happy explosion should finally release the untapped energies of our people while still remaining a profound mystery". "We can not understand the universal conundrum of creativity, if we do not dare to imagine that one stage of creativity, however, beautiful and compelling, must yield place entirely before a higher stage of creativity can ensue".

He described the event as a sad but historic one and called on the public to let Zima "work in the dark" to produce even greater works. Dr Josiah-Aryeh urged the youth to take a cue from Zima and set higher standards for themselves and formulate strategies to attain such standards. GNA