In Ghana, a hair salon is often just a barber or hair-braider with a chair outside and a sign on a tree or market stall. The barbers or hairdressers themselves may paint the signs, or paid sign artists may do it. They are intended both to identify the businesses and to advertise the services offered, depicting a catalog of intricate women’s hairbraiding patterns or the latest in men’s hair styles. The hairstyles depicted in barbers’ signs can often have their date determined. Inspiration is often drawn from events, styles and personalities in the USA. We find “Mike Tyson”, “Mr. Tee”, “House Party” and “Cocaine Cut” alongside old favourites like “Nelson Mandela”, “Back Bush”, “Sportin’ Waves” and “Boeing 707”.
These painted hairdresser signs are handcrafted examples of folk art and cultural artefacts that embody the spirit of Ghanaian entrepreneurship, style and visual culture. Featuring bold colours, striking features and eye-catching designs on recycled materials, they tell stories through hairstyles inspired by local traditions and global trends. The signs are historical documents that preserve local traditions and demonstrate the creative use of art for advertising and expressing identity. Advertising signs in Ghana are part of a long-standing tradition of hand-painted shop signs and functional folk art found throughout West Africa.
For further reading please visit this comprehensive book you can read online. https://www.blurb.com/books/750329-the-vibrant-sign-culture-of-ghana
The painting measures 20.5 x 35.8 inches (52 x 91 cm), we mounted it into a shadowbox frame of 23 x 38.4 x 1.2 inches (58,5 x 97,5 x 3 cm).
