Whether self-portraits saturated in blue tones or sex workers elegantly dressed in suits, Hawa Awanle Ayiboro says her paintings are all infused with her childhood struggles. Ayiboro was 12 when she faced becoming a child bride.
The pressure to marry a much older man came from her mother, who first sent her to cook and clean at his house. However, with the support of an aunt, Ayiboro was able to resist. She later channelled her experiences into art, now showcased in a solo exhibition, Fine Feathers Don’t Make Fine Birds, at the renowned Gallery 1957, opening on 13 February in Ghana’s capital Accra.
