KWAME AKOTO “ALMIGHTY GOD ART WORKS”, born in 1950
Kumasi, Ghana

The Late Otumfoj Opoku ware II (King of Ashanti)
The Late Otumfoj Opoku ware II (King of the Ashanti)
Circa 1999/2000.
Glycero-phthalic paint on plywood panel with wooden framing mouldings, 121.5 x 81 cm.
Signed Almighty God Art Works Suame Jun. (Junction) Ksi (Kumasi) – Ghana, lower right of the frame.
Provenance: Yasmina Chenoufi Collection, Paris.
Acquired directly in Kumasi from the artist circa 2005.
Bibliography: Kwame Akoto, Almighty God Art Works. Exhibition catalogue, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. Fondation Antoine de Galbert. Empire Books, 2026. Related work on page 29, “The Golden Stool”, circa 1995.

Otumfoj Opoku ware II (1919-1999) reigned from 1970 until his death in 1999.
He was a ruler of renewal and transition following the upheavals Ghana experienced in the second half of the 20th century, particularly with independence in 1957, contributing to the restoration of the Ashanti monarchy in an independent Ghana by strengthening traditional institutions while establishing a dialogue with the modern state.

This hyperrealist work belongs to a series commemorating the funeral ceremonies of King Otumfoj Opoku ware II, produced shortly after his death in February 1999, alongside two other paintings presented in the same exhibition, A chief dancing (…) and Feathers chief (…).

The king, carried on his throne and adorned with his golden regalia, the wealth of the sovereigns of the aptly named Gold Coast, greets his people with an august gesture of the hand. His impassive, dignified features are rendered with remarkable skill by the artist.