Jonas Nana Obeng BAFFOUR

Essence Mark Portrait Artist

Jonas Nana Kwaku Obeng BAFFOUR was born on 10th January, 2001 in Tema, Accra-Ghana where he currently lives. Jonas is an undergraduate student, studying at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He is studying BFA. Painting & Sculpture.

In his junior years he attended Accra Academy Senior High School in 2017-20. During his time in Accra Academy Jonas always showed his interest in communicating, he was also very curious about everything he came across( even the so called NOT IMPORTANT ) became his topic. He always had questions for everything and that made him set to research and also come to realization were he knew he had a purpose that he had to fulfill, this set him on a research were he started seeking for answers to certain common things we do everyday but never pay attention to nor do we appreciate them.

As a result of his curiosities, he started showing deeper interest in how ones essence mark can be used as their portraiture or ones sign of identity, and how things are portrayed as to how they actually are. He then later worked as an intern at Nubuke Foundation. Working as an assistant when works are being installed in the gallery. At Nubuke Foundation, Jonas met some artists who inspired his way of thinking, that stimulated him to channel his curiosities and questions into something meaningful, and one that can both question and draw our attention to the importance and values of the little things we do not value.
During the epoch were he was an intern, he started focusing on the foot. This, at the beginning was because of the insecurities he felt about his foot. But later became an intricate interest of study for him.
Jonas’ preference for portraying the human footprint as a form of portraiture stems from its ability to capture the intricacies of identity, legacy, spirituality, and our impermanence. By merging artistic expressions with profound symbolism, he strive to initiate conversations through his curiosities and provoke introspection regarding the significance of our footprints in the larger tapestry of human existence. Through this he began his creative exploration, were he hope to inspire viewers to embrace their uniqueness, value their interactions, and leave positive imprints wherever they go.