Sarfo Emmanuel Annor is a 21-year old visual artist who uses color to share the stories and dreams of young people from Koforidua, Ghana. He uses his smartphone to revive the art of portraiture by capturing colorful images of the local youth, translating the dynamic story of contemporary
Africa. Sarfo hopes his work can tell a beautiful African story while providing therapy for his audience. In his own words: “I use color as a language for emotions. I use these vibrant colors in my works to act as a color therapy for myself and hopefully for my audience too.”
After having studied visual arts in high school, Sarfo Emmanuel Annor started as a painter before becoming the apprentice of a fashion designer. Although he chose another direction, these experiences shaped his artistic eye and confirmed his interest in following an artistic path.
He first started shooting portraits of people around him using a smartphone, cameras and other equipment being too expensive. His works mostly featured children because he couldn’t afford professional models. His niece was therefore the first model for his photos. Although being for financial purposes at the beginning, it has now become part of his artistic identity.
His work has been featured in Fisheye Magazine, les Beaux Arts Magazine, Cultured Magazine, Art News Africa, Afrodyssée, Perfect Magazine and Manju Journal. He was also included in a list of the 'hottest creatives of 2022' in i-D Magazine.
