The dark side of Galamsey
Portraying the effects of Galamsey on the environment using metal sculpture
Keywords:
galamsey, environment, mineral resources, mining, sculptureAbstract
Illegal small-scale mining popularly referred to in Ghana as ‘Galamsey’ has been a serious menace to the society and the environment. Since gold is one of the most valuable natural mineral resources in the country, and legal mining is accompanied by a lot of rules and regulations, a lot of individuals in a bid to get rich quick find dubious means to dig for it. The media houses have stressed the effects of galamsey on the environment. However, it has not made much impact. This paper focused on constructing a metal sculpture to depict the negative effect of galamsey on the environment. It, therefore, adopts the arc welding technique by using metals and scraps to create a conceptual metal sculpture to educate the public about the effects of Galamsey on the environment. Studio-based research method was used for the study. The project was successful and the results were analyzed under the social, philosophical, artistic and intellectual contexts. The finished work was titled “Ɛnkum yƐn wiasi”, an Akan expression which means “Don’t kill Our World.
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