Courage Hunke (Ghanaian, b. 2000) is a visionary artist whose work bridges the realms of consumer culture and the profound ephemerality of existence. With an unyielding passion for redefining the boundaries of art, Courage explores unconventional mediums to convey messages of beauty, sustainability, and memory. At the core of Courage's art lies the innovative process of fusing paper with repurposed merchandise plastic bags through heat-pressing. This unique technique transforms everyday objects into imprints of life experiences and memories. Courage's art pieces are not merely reflections of aesthetics; they represent the transient nature of existence, echoing the wisdom found in the natural world, where time and space constantly evolve, serving as profound meditations on the choices of consumers and the collective responsibility we bear for the environment. In a world dominated by disposability, his work offers a powerful counternarrative, calling on viewers to reflect on their habits, cherishing the beauty and the teachings of nature. With every piece, he invites one to reevaluate their place in a world where art, environment intertwine in a mesmerizing dance of consciousness. Courage lives and works in Accra and is a member of the Artemartis collective.

I view my art as an extension of myself and the people around me, and as I try daily to be the best version of myself, I also make sure that I can influence my community positively through my work.

My choice in subjects and patterns in the works are heavily influenced by the people and culture of my areas of focus. I strongly believe that art is one of the ways through which communities can be developed, as a story teller and an artist, my dream is to help people in my community secure and maintain their identity, one of love and growth.

I collect a diverse range of improperly disposed polythene shopping bags and plastic packaging from the markets and from my community. These materials are then thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. Subsequently, each plastic material undergoes a metamorphosis through the process of heat pressing, after sandwiching them between layers of paper. The resulting surfaces, each infused with its own unique blend of subtle text and images are carefully joined and layered onto wooden frames with the help of nails, advanced silicone and glue, paying close attention to the captivating textures and details that emerge from the act of heat pressing.

By creating through a process of layering multiple transformed amalgamation of plastic bags and paper, the resulting surface is dense and rich with meaning. Within this intricate composition, I select a fragment of text from repurposed plastic bags that show through the delicate layers of newly formed paper. This choice not only conveys a message of gratitude but also symbolizes the interplay between disposable items and meaningful moments, seamlessly weaving together elements of consumer culture and environmental consciousness.

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