"Practice doesn't make perfect but it gives a level of experience."
Kobina Annan, Jr.

Says the man who was born to paint. And, according to him, he has been making art since the day he came out his mother's womb.

That is Kofi Fosu Forson; born in Ghana and moved to New York with his parents. He started writing poetry and then took up illustration. As a young boy he photographed, developed and printed his very first picture. It was of the Chrysler building here in New York. There was a clear view of it from his family's apartment.

It was in high school when Kofi Forson really discovered his talent. He went on to develop a passion for art, but the discovery was a slow process. At his first painting class, for instance, he realized he wasn’t good at mixing colors. The feeling was to stay with him until later years when, as a student at the School of Visual Arts, he learned the use of colors by practicing. Some of the colors he likes to use are different shades of red like magenta. You can see the vivid display of many colors like blue.

Kofi says, “ I like colors that evoke mood.”

Art, for Kofi, has always been about the experience and not so much about a particular artistic trend. He paints like a man with a vision. Dedicated to his craft, his life and his work embody the discipline that makes it possible for him to create art.

Kofi is also a lover of the theater. His love for the stage grew after high school. He wrote theatrical plays and was accepted at The Riant Theater as a director. The play he wrote that sealed his acceptance to the theater was called “Punching Bag.” The play was about a black musician struggling between staying in school or becoming a star.

As a director at The Riant Theater, he directed many aspiring actors who are now major figures in the entertainment world. Marlon John one of his actors has been featured in national commercials and is currently doing background work for dramas on Fox television.

The inspiration for Kofi Forson’s work stems from his experience as an artist living in New York City. He says, “The city has been my canvas. It is art in itself. I have met people from all over the world here.”

As for being a Ghanaian living in a foreign land he says, “I think about Ghana and I say, I am Ghanaian. My spirit is Ghanaian. I speak Ga. I eat banku. There's no reason to think Ghana is far away from me. My experience has definitely been multi-cultural but my home and heart will always be with Ghana and Ghanaians.”

Kofi Forson sees his future growth as one which lies in a continuous dialogue and collaboration with other artists. He believes there are artists out there who speak the same philosophical language as he does.

And Kofi has big plans for the future. But he is modest about it. Kofi says, “ The key to my success is like driving a car at night, meaning you know where your going, but you can only see as far as the heads light will allow you to see.”

In the near future he plans on forming a company or some organization meant for the arts.

Kobina Annan, Jr. October 20, 2006

 A slow process of discovery as an artist

A lover of the theater

It is the discipline that makes it possible

The artist Kofi Forson