Emmanuel, 25
Born in Accra, Ghana
Came to Australia in April 2015
How did we meet?
I met Emmanuel on Facebook. He met up with me later in person and gifted me a self-portrait, which is currently hung in my bedroom.
What is your occupation?
I’m a visual artist specialising in portraiture; my whole family is interested in art but I’m the only one who pursued it as a career. Originally, I thought that I would be a plumber or lawyer. However, when I first arrived in Australia, I drew a picture of a girl I had a crush on in high school and long story short - she loved it! It was then that I realised I should become a professional artist.
In the future, I would like to be an art teacher in my own studio; I think it’d be cool to make my name as the owner of a prestigious African art studio.
I was recently featured in a Guardian article where I talked about my struggles during the pandemic.
Why did you come to Australia?
My mother was the first to immigrate here - she came around 2014 for work reasons. At the time, I was quite sick as I had swollen eyelids and required surgery - which was excruciatingly painful - which I couldn’t access in Ghana. So I guess the initial reason I came to Australia was to get surgery, and then I ended up emigrating here with the rest of my family.
What do you like about Sydney?
I like the multicultural aspect of Australia; I can go to the CBD and experience many different cuisines like Thai, Chinese, Malaysian and African. Ghana is multicultural but in a different way as we have over 100 tribes and ethnic groups in the country.
Sydneysiders also respect aspiring artists - people have been supporting me throughout my journey and many have actually helped expand my professional network by referring me to other artists whose expertise I can leverage. In Africa, people would generally dissuade me from pursuing art as a career; they just see it as an unstable vocation.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
Wow. That’s a very hard question.
I miss how friendly Ghanaians are; random strangers would greet you and ask how you’re doing whereas, in Sydney, a lot of people live in a self-absorbed bubble without being aware of their surroundings. In Ghana, there’s a saying: “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”
I feel like soccer is still very much an underappreciated sport in Australia in general. It’s a very lucrative sport here whereas Australians tend to prefer more dangerous sports, such as rugby. That was very much a culture shock for me; soccer’s the biggest sport in so many parts of the world. Everywhere you go in Ghana, there are kids running around playing soccer.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
Please follow your heart and don’t just follow the money. When you follow your passion, your passion can take you to places you’ve never dreamed of. You’ll also earn more money this way.
What languages do you speak?
Akan (Twi) (native), English
Akan is my native tongue and it is spoken by around 80% of Ghanaians; it is the most common indigenous language.
French is compulsory in private schools but optional in government schools. I never took it seriously so I cannot really understand it. At the moment, French is in the process of becoming one of Ghana’s official languages as we are surrounded by Francophone countries like Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
meda mo ase
This means thank you in Akan.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
Ghana is one of the most peaceful and stable African countries according to the United Nations. During the African Cup and FIFA World Cup, people are very passionate; football is an excuse to celebrate and party. Everyone remembers THAT 2010 World Cup quarterfinal, where Suarez blatantly handballed and we ended up losing on penalties, preventing us from becoming the first African country to reach the World Cup semifinals.
A famous tourist destination is Elmina Castle, one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. Kakum National Park is another noteworthy site for its canopy walk. Ghana’s second-largest city Kumasi is also a hidden gem; it is filled with Ashanti tradition, and it is where the Ashanti king Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Asantehene lives.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
Shatta Wale
He is a reggae singer and he actually reshared a drawing that I had drawn of him. His most famous song is Dancehall King which led him to win the 2014 Ghanian Artist of the Year. He has also acted in several movies but he is first and foremost a singer.
What is the best dish in your native country?
Jollof rice
Jollof rice is basically a rice dish common in West Africa. It is usually made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, but its ingredients and preparation methods vary a lot depending on the region.
Ghana and Nigeria have frequent arguments about who makes the best jollof rice. Whenever I meet a Nigerian friend, I provoke them by saying that Ghanaian jollof rice is better and wait for their reaction. There are literally articles about the “Jollof Wars”. There’s a joke that America fights wars for minerals and resources while Ghana and Nigeria are fighting over food.
Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.
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