‘Will you eat before you take an enema, 
or will you take an enema before you eat?’

Also on display are many flags from Nubuke’s own collection, all of which are from pre-1957. Again, the designs relate to a broad spectrum of Fante proverbs, from the popular ‘We came to fight but not you mere vultures,’ contrasting the valiance of one company with the vulture-like repulsiveness of another, to the mocking of excuses given to escape military service: ‘Will you eat before you take an enema, or will you take an enema before you eat?’ A great number of Nubuke’s collection utilize animal or mythic imagery to convey their messages, from strong elephants and wise antelopes to terrifying multi-headed griffins.

All of the flags in the exhibition, including a small number for sale, seem to communicate with one another—proverbs bouncing back and forth, soldiers ready for action, animals sparring, and opponents trembling. Seeing them amassed in this way gives a sense of the cacophony of colors and confrontations that run through an Asafo procession.

Alongside the Asafo flag display, the work of Patrick Tagoe-Turkson, a contemporary Ghanaian artist based in Takoradi, can be seen. Working in response to the Effutu Asafo traditions, Tagoe-Turkson creates colorful, hand-stitched flags, using imagery and text to comment on contemporary issues from road safety to political doublespeak. Tagoe-Turkson’s presence reminds the visitor that the Nubuke Foundation is seeking not just to preserve and promote Ghanaian cultural history but to make connections between contemporary practitioners and enduring local traditions.

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Nubuke Foundation, Accra 2024