Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Frimpong.
Hi Vincent, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, my name is Vincent Frimpong, and I go by Sniper. I come from Ghana, Africa, and grew up in Kumasi. My story started in my hometown, where I learned to work hard, walk by faith, and take pride in my culture as an Asante man. I got to where my life and art are now through my culture, worked with various materials and mediums, and earned my BFA in ceramics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). When I was an undergrad, I met my professor Jeannie Hulen, she shared that I could pursue my passion and apply to grad school, so I did that and am proud to say that I can be a contemporary artist and student in the US. I am a multi-disciplinary artist pursuing my MFA in ceramics at the University of Arkansas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, there have been a lot of struggles on the way. I am a first generation in the United States, and I am very proud of that. I have ensured that I am always thinking about the next steps and have worked hard to make things happen. Making art in Ghana and having less knowledge of the US since I had to immigrate to this country and go through that process takes a lot. Trying to give people my story to be able to understand my lived experiences through my art has been hard. Being an artist helps me think about what I can create and use that motivation to take the next step to continue my journey. I always think about ways to survive and make art. This is my life; the more I do, the more I grow.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Throughout my life, I’ve been exploring the question, ‘What does it mean to be an African?’ Affirming the core of African power within myself and others permeates everything I do and represent. My objects and installations at once draw upon my history and simultaneously comment on the present. I have embraced mixed media processes to express and explore ideas regarding the richness of African history and pressing contemporary concerns addressing where we come from, where we are, and where we are going. I use mixed media installation to create a space that allows for open dialogue between the audience and the space utilizing some elements of Ghanaian culture and the human hand as a tool to explore the idea of what it means to be an African. As a concerned artist, I see, feel, analyze, and make work to examine these realities. I am influenced as an artist by what I have been through since childhood, recollecting the memories and experiences throughout my life. At the same time, I elaborate on why they are significant to me specifically. Therefore, I make installations that link the past, present, and future for Ghanaians.
I want my work to draw audiences to experience the richness of some aspects of African culture and their relevance to our contemporary world. I desire to make sculptural installations that communicate ideas to make viewers recognize that what people think they know is not always the whole truth.
What makes you happy?
Providing care for my community, making money, and making art make me happy. I can stand and share my pride as an African man, immigrant, and artist. By making it work one day, I hope to invest more money back into my community to promote other Ghanaian artists and continue teaching, and have resources, materials, and critical thoughts to inspire the next generation. Every day I work hard so that I can send both new knowledge and money back home to take care of my people, to help them to thrive, and my art gives me that ability to make life better for myself and the people I care about. When I wake up and sleep, I think about art; it’s my fuel. I like to do something new every day to keep me motivated and push me because hard work and consistency are how I became dedicated, and I will be able to do more in my life by doing just that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.snipersart.com
- Instagram: sniper_ceramica
Image Credits
Larissa Ramey
