Guinness World Record holder and visual artist Sharon Dede Padi has presented her certificate for the world’s largest leaf-print painting to the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry.
Padi earned the global record after creating a 54.33 square-metre leaf-print painting of the Ghana flag within 33 hours, using natural leaves sourced across the country, including cocoyam, plantain, cassava, cocoa, coffee, shea, orange, and lemon leaves.
Congratulating the artist, Gomashie praised the choice of the Ghana flag as the central motive, describing it as a unifying national symbol.
She commended the project’s strong conceptual foundation and its role in preserving indigenous knowledge on food systems, medicine, and biodiversity, noting that many traditional edible and medicinal leaves are gradually disappearing from public use.
The Minister encouraged Padi to document and categorise the leaves used, edible, medicinal, ornamental, or unknown, highlighting the economic potential for gastronomy, cultural enterprise, and sustainable development.
She also advised that preservation should guide decisions on public display, recommending indoor venues or carefully selected tourist sites to protect the artwork from weather damage.
Padi was invited to submit a written proposal outlining possible areas of collaboration, with the assurance that while the Ministry focuses on policy, it works closely with relevant agencies and partners.
Padi explained that the achievement followed an unsuccessful attempt at a painting marathon in March 2024, after which she pursued and secured approval for the leaf-print category.
She submitted evidence of the completed work in July 2025 and received official confirmation on December 9, becoming the first person in the world to hold the title.
She announced plans for a press conference on February 19, an exhibition integrating leaf-print art with Ghanaian culture, poetry, and music, the production of a coffee-table booklet for tourism facilities, and a miniature version of the artwork.
Padi also appealed for Ministry support to explore mounting the piece as a national monument at a suitable tourist site, expressing her willingness to donate it to the nation.
In attendance were Divine Owusu-Ansah, Director Culture and Creative Arts, Charles Hottor, Deputy Director Culture and Creative Arts, Dr Richardson Commey Fio, the Personal Assistant to the Sector Minister, and Dr Alphonse Kumaza, Ag. Director for Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
