William Kwamena-Poh's Gallery

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William Kwamena-Poh was born in Ghana and now lives in Savannah. Ireton was born in upstate New York, and is of Dutch and Irish ancestry. Kwamena-Poh’s paintings reflect both his African heritage and the Black American experience, while Ireton’s pine needle and driftwood wall hangings, sculptures, and baskets are created using natural materials and coiled basketry techniques, much as our ancestors did. Together, their art honors their ancestors and their traditions, culture and heritage. 

Kwamena-Poh has been creating his life-like works since 1980 when he arrived in the United States. He paints with gouache, also known as opaque watercolor, the same medium used by the late African American artist Jacob Lawrence, and experimented with by Dali, Picasso, and Klimt. His work is done primarily using a dry surface instead of the wet on wet watercolor technique. As a self taught artist, his process was developed accidentally as he did not realize that in watercolor, wetting the paper is important. Originating from Ghana, West Africa, where the sun’s strength is ever present, providing a colorful environment which is strongly reflected in the clothing and culture. The density and opacity of gouache allows him to give the viewer a small window into this wonder-filled land.

His works have graced the sets of TV shows such as the "Cosby Show", "South Central", and "Motown 30", and the motion picture "Losing Isaiah".  His works can also be found in corporate collections such as Amoco, Prudential, Ford Motors, and Disney and are collected by private and well-known public figures throughout the States and abroad.

After graduating from Talladega College in 1984, he lived in Washington, DC for a year, and in Chicago for ten years, where he opened his gallery, Osibisa Fine Arts, in 1993. He now resides in Savannah.