ASAASE YAA

The Thursday-born Akan earth goddess, ASAASE YAA sits majestically upon her throne. As mother of humanity, she embodies life itself—fertility, abundance, and the generative power of the earth.

At 150 × 300 cm, the painting’s monumental scale demanded an unusual physical approach.

Watercolour cannot easily be painted on an easel at this scale, so I worked flat on a table. To reach the upper portion of the painting, I had to turn the work upside down and paint from the middle upward.

This inversion became part of the painting’s physical and conceptual language. The act of working against the expected orientation introduced a subtle tension into the composition—a sense of the goddess emerging through effort, patience, and devotion.