Within the context of contemporary African culture, some jobs and skills are regarded as exclusively masculine. This scares an ordinary African girl child and women to venture into certain professions. Shiri Achu is one of those who are successfully breaking that myth!

When she had her very first Art Exhibition in 2010 dubbed The 30th Act in London, little did she know that she will travel across the world, fulfilling her passion in artistic painting. On the day she received her most recent award, she was invited to do a painting session with five young girls. This wonderful day also affirmed her hope for the next generation of female painters.

“There is significant growth in the number of girls who see art as a path to follow. Many young girls are having the passion and are prepared to work towards it. I have had numerous young people, both boys and girls who reach out to me to mentor them and I am excited when young girls do. I had a mentorship program some years back but with an increasing workload, I couldn’t maintain it at the time. I’m looking into setting it up again,” she says.

With the stigma and barrier female painters face, she believes life as a young black female painter is exciting! “I do what I do with all joy. I just know that I have a mission and a goal and all I must do is work towards it. My hope is that soon, many of Shiri’s likes will turn the table and bring hopes to the arts,” she explains.

The London/USA based talented painter, Shiri Achu, known by her artistic name ShiriAchuArt has moved across several continents exhibiting her paintings. Difficult to explain how her passion for painting originated.

“I was told I found my first materials; the paint brush, the paints etc and just started painting. I really can’t recall if I fully understood at the age of 9 or had seen other types of paintings before. I knew it was something I had to do and loved doing. My first paintings simply focused on studying objects while trying to master various stills, angles, perspective, tone, colour, composition etc in painting. I painted flower vases full of flowers. I would look keenly at an egg, or the human form and try to paint it. I wanted to master the skill of looking keenly and depicting what I saw well and with my own eyes through painting,” she explains.

Debut of Shiri Achu

After her advanced Ordinary and Advance levels at the LA SWAP Parliament Hill and William Ellis school in London, she also studied Architecture at the University of Wales, Cardiff from 1998 -2006. Shiri continued painting the buildings she designed while at the University, throughout her seven-year program. She would not stop painting for whatever reason amid challenges.

Not a bed of roses!

“My travels and the annual exhibitions are really no easy feat. Getting all the pieces ready, transporting them, spending months promoting the event, trying to reach out to the right people to attend, spending and spending and spending on the event etc can be challenging at times. But in the end – for me, after everything, it’s still worth it. This is the reason I do it year after year, and the reason I will continue to do it,” she says. As a woman, she turns difficulties into opportunities.

“I am blind to see injustice that maybe directed at me. I always just focus on what I am doing and what I am trying to accomplish. Yes, perhaps there has been some grants that I didn’t get because I am a woman or because I am a black woman. I don’t focus on those challenges. I find ways to use my differences to my own advantage, as opportunities. Pragmatically being a female painter is challenging in that, as mother of two, after taking care of them, feeding, and disciplining them, I am at times left exhausted to work on art and to create. But I push myself and must do so often. When they sleep, I get on my easel to create. It remains very exciting,” she explains.

Painting Drive, inspiration

One of the aims of Shiri’s Art is to showcase the culture of her homeland and other African countries to the wider world. It’s also to bring back beautiful and nostalgic memories to Africans in the Diaspora. She finds beauty in Africa daily routines like the woman carrying her child on her back and going to farm in the countryside, or a girl climbing a tree or an old lady who makes her “achu” (a traditional delicacy of the Ngemba, Baforchu etc tribes, North West Region Cameroon) for her grandchildren.

Shiri finds beauty in the African unique fabrics or in a young girl climbing a fruit tree. Her paintings aim to reflect the beautiful simplicity of Africa and encourage people from the Western World understanding of the culture and get them interested in travelling to Mother Africa.

Painting of “Achu“ and Ma Africa pounds. Photo : ShiriAchuArt

“I use painting to educate people and promote the African culture in its diversity. I can say my art is bold, dramatic and some, somewhat abstract as it leaves room for interpretation and conclusions. That is the beauty of my paintings,” she adds.

“So many people have inspired me… My father, my mother, Nelson Mandela, Giacometti, El Anatsui… so so many people / and different kinds of people and situations etc inspire me. For example, I am inspired by the grandmothers who work so hard in the farm in the village, and by the 60+ woman I saw working so hard in Hong Kong some years ago. At that age she was quite busy working at a fast-food restaurant. Her resilience encouraged me” she says.

Some women inspire her

Honours and awards

While hosting activities to celebrate immigrant women who are making a great impact in community building on 8 March 2022, the Prince George’s African Diaspora Advisory Board (ADAB) in the USA recognized Shiri’s contributions and impact on the African women immigrant community through her paintings. ADBD said the Cultural Award conferred on Shiri Achu is in recognition of her resilience, professionalism, and contributions to the social, economic, cultural development of the African immigrant community.

“It is truly an honor to receive this award. I thank God for the opportunity to do this through the gift he has given me, and pledge continuous efforts in promoting the African Culture through my passion, painting,” she says.

The honour from the Prince George’s African Diaspora Advisory Board (ADAB) in USA is coming to add to a plethora of awards. Some include an award as the best Artist in Brent’ by the Brent Council, London, UK. At the Artomatic Washington DC USA art exhibition, in 2016 where over 400 hundred artists came together, art critic Lennox, Campello chose her works (Ma Africa pounds, Nurture, The Climb series to mention a few) among the best

On the 14th May 2016, a citation presented at the inaugural 36InPrintDC art exhibition by USA Member of Congress, Chris Van Hollen, appreciated her for using art to capture the spirit of African culture in their community. The Distinguished Fellowship of African Art and Culture, FAAC is another platform which honored her in 2017.

The World’s largest museum for education and research, in Washington DC, also hosts the works of SHIRI ACHU ART. It’s where the finest examples of traditional and contemporary art from the entire African continent are exhibited.

South African touch

In 2012, Shiri was shortlisted for the BBC TV show “Show me the Monet” for her painting “Rose.” She was also privileged to exhibit and talk about her painting at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, as well as the Houses of Parliament in London. Shiri has taken part in several international group exhibitions, be there in Amsterdam, USA, Lisbon, Nigeria, Chiang-Mai, Warsaw and has more than 20 solo exhibitions to her credit. Her works have also featured in books, magazines, and newspaper publications.

With more than a decade of engagement in painting, Shiri is arguably amongst the best of her generation, an inspiration to many. Owing to her very wide exposure and travels, she has met with figures of repute in different fields and domains that have veered her creativity as exceptional.

Roger Milla, Ms Nkrumah, Brandy, C. Adichie. Photo: ShiriAchuArt
Roger Milla, Ms Nkrumah, Brandy, C. Adichie. Photo: ShiriAchuArt

Some prominent public figures Shiri Achu has come across globally, and who are keeping some of her paintings include Grammy award-winning American singers Brandy and Faith Evans, British actor James Faulkner, British soul singer (MBE) Omar, daughter of Ghanaian politician, Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah, Jamaican living legend Mutabaruka, singers Angelique Kidjo, and Soul Queen Angie Stone Cameroonian football legend Roger Milla and many more.

Painting a living

“ Through technology, my website, my instagram page , my facebook page , and my twitter handle it has been possible to be able to reach thousands of people around the world. With a good product and the ability to market oneself well online, I believe it’s possible to make a living from painting. Personally, I do. When I have exhibitions, I sell my paintings. I also have online sales and I’m invited to do commissions etc. Anything well done can help one to make a living,” she explains. She encourages African painters not to relent.

Explaining paintings to visitors at an exhibition. Photo: ShiriAchuArt

“African painting is taking a beautiful turn as I am seeing more and more contemporary African art. Modern African art means Africans are getting in tune and aligning with the rest of the world and in so doing, African painting is now being sought from people all over the world. I’m not sure if African art receives the support it deserves. In the past, perhaps not… But more recently I see the increasing love for African Art,” Shiri says.

With additional reports from Jude MbakuContributor.

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