Worldly Things: 'Fantasy' Coffins from Ghana

A collection of eight exquisitely carved coffins from the Paa Joe Carpentry workshop on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana will celebrate the role of life and death in contemporary Ghanaian life.

Paa Joe took up carpentry in 1960, at the age of 15. He was apprenticed to Kane Kwei, the artisan who first made popular the so-called 'designer coffins' in the mid-1950s at the time of Ghana's political transition from the British-ruled Gold Coast Colony to independent Ghanaian rule. These objects of amazement are meticulously carved, and painted, and have a special significance to the past life of the deceased. They are an important aspect of the burial ritual, practiced by many of the Ghanaian communities.

Date: 13 March - 1 April
Time: 11:00am – 5:00pm (Tuesday – Friday), 11:00pm – 4:00pm (Saturday)
Location: 45 Downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, CBD

Image: Paa Joe Carpentry Workshop, 2005. Photo by Donald Williams

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