Human Nature
By Hailey Stangebye
Photos courtesy of Edmund Boateng
Edmund Boateng sees inspiration for art in all of his surroundings.
He could be sitting at dinner with his family when, suddenly, an image outside the window will catch his eye. His brain, captivated by the idea, immediately buzzes with the thought of incorporating that image in his art.
“I’m inspired by nature. My explanation of nature is everything that God has created, including humans,” Edmund says. “In the creative arts, when you say ‘nature’ people just think about plants and animals and stuff like that. I don’t know if everybody thinks the same, but I feel like we don’t include humans. I’m inspired by humans, by people.”
“I’m inspired by nature. My explanation of nature is everything that God has created, including humans. In the creative arts, when you say ‘nature’ people just think about plants and animals and stuff like that. I don’t know if everybody thinks the same, but I feel like we don’t include humans. I’m inspired by humans, by people.”
When he sits down to draw, Edmund is completely focused. His goal is always to create hyper-realistic representations of his subject. Surprisingly, Edmund has never had any formal training in the visual arts.
But, growing up in Ghana, he was always surrounded by creativity.
“My dad is a shoemaker. He does almost everything in leather, he makes shoes, wallets and belts. Artistry runs in the family,” Edmund says. “I have two uncles: One is a painter and one is an architect… We used to all live in the same house. So, growing up, I used to pick up pencils and watercolors. For as long as I could hold a pencil, I remember drawing.”
When he got to high school, everyone assumed that Edmund would study visual arts. But he surprised them saying, “If I’m able to draw, why would I go to school to learn something that I already know?”
“If I’m able to draw, why would I go to school to learn something that I already know?“
Instead, he pursued general arts, which is where he learned to write scripts for films.
Somewhere along this journey, Edmund stopped drawing seriously. He focused his energy on filmmaking and script writing. That changed when he met Ashton, who is now his wife.
“I started drawing again because my wife now — at the time, we were just talking — she liked art. While we were talking, I mentioned that I draw sometimes and she wanted to see something that I produced,” Edmund says. “So I did a sketch of the inside of my window and shared it with her and she was like, ‘This is really good, you should continue drawing.’”
Ashton continues to encourage Edmund to pursue visual arts. When they arrived in Columbus last year, they started going to Gallery Hop every month. That’s how Edmund fell in love with Sharon Weiss Gallery.
Sharon took an interest in Edmund and asked him to participate in an exhibition featuring self-portraits.
“That self-portrait went really well. It sold in the first 15 minutes of the reception. People were loving it,” Edmund says. “Sharon told me that she only asked me to be a part of it because she believed that I’m a good artist and she saw a future in me. She wanted me to be a part of it, and I was really honored.”
“That self-portrait went really well. It sold in the first 15 minutes of the reception. People were loving it. Sharon told me that she only asked me to be a part of it because she believed that I’m a good artist and she saw a future in me. She wanted me to be a part of it, and I was really honored.“
That piece — which sold in 15 minutes — is a drawing of Edmund holding a camera and a pencil to his face. It demonstrates his dual nature as a photographer and visual artist.
After such a successful debut, Edmund decided to try a new kind of self-portrait that reveals more of his personality. This second portrait, “BREAKING LOOSE,” is now a mural that can be found at 1288 N. High Street.
“BREAKING LOOSE” illustrates Edmund’s reserved nature and his struggles to break through that shyness and stereotypes through art.
“I’m always reserved and shy. Art is the only thing that I can talk about — boldly talk about — and know what I’m talking about. It gives me joy just to talk or think about it,” Edmund says. “I love to create.”
Edmund is a part of the Short North Mural Series and his work is currently on display at Sharon Weiss Gallery through August 26.
Edmund’s Work
