Eric Kpakpo, (known as Erico) is a Ghanaian Carpenter who specialises in making figurative coffins from his workshop in La, Accra. He transforms wood into sculptural coffins that give voice to the dead when they can no longer speak for themselves.
Having trained with pioneering coffin and palanquin maker, Paa Joe, Eric combines traditional woodworking techniques alongside his own innovative designs. His acclaimed ‘octopus piece’ has received international recognition.
Drawing from Ga cultural symbolism, coffin-making, for him, is a form of storytelling,
with each coffin representing the life, occupation, clan, social standing, and sometimes
ambitions of the individual.
Erico also designs and makes sculptural objects, functional art pieces, and small commemorative works. Eric Kpakpo preserves Ga tradition through every coffin and sculpture he creates, while also advancing its relevance within contemporary art and enhancing its presence on the global cultural stage.
Regula Tschumi
Regula’s interest in photography began in Ghana in 2004 and grew in 2012 after completing her PhD. After attending several workshops led by photographers such as Peter Turnley, Ernesto Bazan, Nikos Economopoulos, and Maciej Dakovicz, she developed her own style of observation and photography.
In Ghana, Regula’s long-term photographic projects relate to her anthropological interest
in religious festivals and funeral rituals, in her words, ‘...because it is such a visually
inspiring place.’
Over the years, she has photographed more than 100 different coffins shortly before
delivery. For ending the beginning... she presents three large-format photographs of
funerals and a series of twenty different coffins - documenting some amazing works of
art from outstanding artists within the Ga and Fanti communities of Ghana, fleetingly,
before and during the funeral, and before they disappear forever into graves.