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Few images in Ghana’s cultural history are as instantly recognisable as the Akwaaba photo, the smiling Ghanaian woman in traditional attire gracefully holding a calabash and a clay pot, pouring palm wine in a gesture of warmth and welcome, hospitality, and African pride.
Over the years, the image has transcended photography to become a national visual identity, widely used in tourism, branding, souvenirs, publications, and international campaigns.
Yet behind its widespread use lies an untold story of authenticity, ownership, misrepresentation, and rebranding, a narrative that raises important questions about creative rights, cultural exploitation, and the blurred line between original art and imitation.
The Birth of an Icon
The original Akwaaba photograph was not just a random cultural image; it was a carefully composed work of art that captured Ghanaian identity and symbolism at a particular moment in time. The subject’s posture, costume, facial expression, and cultural cues were deliberately crafted to communicate welcome, dignity, and African hospitality.
Over time, the image gained prominence and began appearing in tourism brochures, airline magazines, hotels, airports, and international exhibitions. The Akwaaba pose became shorthand for “Welcome to Ghana.”
From Original to Imitation
As the image gained popularity, there came an era of dishonesty and a battle for ownership and commercial rights. Different versions often recreated without proper attribution or consent started circulating in both local and international spaces. In some cases, the original photograph was digitally altered; in others, entirely new photos mimicking the pose and costume were used to pass off as the “Akwaaba image.”
This shift diluted the original work’s identity and sparked confusion over which image was authentic. What began as a tribute slowly evolved into appropriation, with the original story fading behind commercial usage.
The Rebranding Narrative
Mr Joseph Osae, the photographer who took the picture and was fully paid for in an attempt to modernise or “rebrand” the iconic image, began using alternative versions of the Akwaaba concept, sometimes unknowingly reinforcing a fake-versus-original dichotomy.
While rebranding is a legitimate marketing tool, it often occurs without acknowledging the source or respecting the intellectual and cultural ownership of the original work.
This practice reflects a broader challenge within Ghana’s creative industry: the undervaluation of original creators and the lack of enforceable structures to protect artistic heritage.
The Cost of Erasure
The erasure of the original Akwaaba photo’s history has deeper implications. It speaks to how African creative works are often consumed without credit, compensation, or context. The subject of the iconic image, once a symbol of national pride, became invisible in the narrative, even as her likeness continued to generate cultural and commercial value.
This raises uncomfortable but necessary questions:
Who owns cultural imagery?
Who benefits from its reproduction?
And how do we preserve authenticity in the age of rebranding?
Authenticity in a Rebranded Era
The Akwaaba story is not just about a photograph; it is about respect for originality in a world that increasingly favours replication over creation. Rebranding should not erase history; it should build on it. A nation’s visual identity is strongest when it honours its roots while evolving responsibly.
The debate between fake versus original in the Akwaaba narrative is a mirror of Ghana’s broader creative struggle. It calls for stronger copyright enforcement, better documentation of creative history, and a cultural shift that celebrates and protects original works.
Until the original story is fully told, credited, and respected, the iconic Akwaaba image will remain more than a welcoming gesture; it will stand as a symbol of both pride and unresolved injustice in Ghana’s creative heritage.
