Colours of Ghana

Using Instagram as a medium, Derrick Boateng sprays his subjects with colours as vibrant as Ghana itself

“As a kid, growing up, I wasn’t interested in photography, for the reason that photographers were not highly respected and they weren’t highly paid for their service. I started photography around November 2017. 

“When I started out, I never had a style, until I realised that I should find a peculiar style to show the concepts of my pictures to a broader audience. I feel this is my style because it best expresses what I want to portray and embodies my mission as a photographer. I believe, with time, something about this style will change and evolve.

“I want people to change their minds about Ghana, and Africa as a whole. I feel a lot of people should realise that Africa – and Ghana – are changing with the times and that there are a lot of amazing things in our region: peace, creativity, good people, beautiful scenery. 

“Most of my pictures are staged. Before I create a picture, I already have an idea about what I want to create and the influence it’s going to bring out. 

“Instagram is my main artistic medium and it has brought a lot of good things to me. It has widened my audience and showcases my work as a photographer. Yes, Instagram is my gallery wall.  

“I believe poetry and art bring joy and happiness and make us realise we are not as different as we think. Poetry and art are about people coming together. It completely tells my story.” 

See Derrick’s work at @derrick_o_boateng