Collector discovered: Hand-painted movie posters

Ghanaian painter Daniel Anum Jasper reinterpreted the movie posters of many actors, from Paul Newman to John Travolta, so Jasper was rediscovered by a foreign collector.

But Jasper’s work has attracted attention abroad, including in the United States, where the posters are considered unique representations of a particular era in African art.

Joseph Oduro-Frimpong, professor of pop culture anthropology at Ashesi University in Ghana, has several paintings by Jasper. He plans to display his posters at the African Center for Popular Culture, which will open at the university this year, and says he hopes people will appreciate their historical significance:

“With the rise of the internet, Ghana’s independent cinemas have fallen into obscurity. Cinemas are closed, but hand-painted movie posters attract attention from abroad. Of course, the posters have an aesthetic value, we use them to chat with students.”