Ghanaian pencil artist Aewura Adjoa, popularly known as Aewura Arts, has opened up about the resistance she faced from her parents when she decided to pursue art as a career.

Speaking on The Career Trail on Joy Learning TV and JoyNews, Aewura Adjoa said her passion for drawing started in childhood and continued through her school years, despite her parents’ preference for a more stable career.

“I've always been drawing. Every school, every class I've ever been in, they know I draw. Once I learned how to hold a pencil, I just have been drawing. I used to draw characters from storybooks, design letters for my friends and even draw my teachers,” she said.

Her passion led her to choose Visual Arts at Mfantsiman Girls’ Senior High School, a decision her parents were initially unhappy with.

“My parents always said, how do I intend to make a living out of arts? And though they didn't really want me to do Visual Arts in school, as stubborn as I am, I decided to choose Visual Arts when I went to Mfantsiman Girls,” she recalled.

She initially took Ceramics and Graphic Design, driven by her fascination with billboards.

“I wanted to learn how to do graphics. Anytime I see billboards, I'm fascinated. I want to do billboards and put my face on it,” she said.

But while pursuing the programme, she discovered that picture–making was what she enjoyed most.

Her talent also saw her take part in decorating her school hall and handling other artistic projects while in school.

After completing secondary school, however, Aewura Adjoa had to put her art on hold as her parents pushed her towards a career they considered more secure.

“They still didn't understand the fact that I could make a profession while living out of just drawing. They wanted me to be a teacher because there's a monthly pay. If anything goes south, you still have a monthly allowance,” she explained.

She enrolled at the Accra College of Education and later spent a year teaching as part of her practical training. Although she enjoyed interacting with the pupils, she struggled with the demands of the profession.

“I like just being with the kids. When it was time for Creative Arts, sports and things, I was very active. But the other things were overwhelming. The kids were noisy, and I’m not someone who likes talking much, so having to always tell them to keep quiet was tiring. I also had to prepare notes, give them homework and mark their work. There were about 60-something kids and about 10 subjects. It was stressful,” she recounted.

After completing her practical training, Aewura Adjoa was posted to Denkyira to begin her career as a teacher. But she soon realised that getting to the school itself would be another challenge.

“I was posted to Denkyira, and I realised that I had to cross a river to get to the school. Already, the passion wasn’t there, so having to cross a river just to get to the school turned all the little interest I had left off. I just said to myself, I’m going to focus on what I actually love to do, and that was the artwork,” she shared.

 “All hell broke loose in my house. My aunties, my uncles, everybody was called to talk to me, to tell me that I couldn’t do this. But I had already made up my mind,” she continued.

Despite the pressure, she returned to drawing from her dining table at home and began sharing her work on social media. At first, she was not thinking about making money from it.

“I wasn't doing it for money. I was just drawing and posting it on my page,” she noted.

Her sketches gradually attracted a following, with people asking her to draw them and later enquiring about the cost of her services. That interest eventually turned her passion into a business.

Her parents, who had initially opposed the decision, later accepted her career choice and even supported her by buying art supplies.

Today, Aewura Adjoa has built a name for herself through her pencil art, creating portraits for clients in Ghana and beyond.

Her work has also given her the opportunity to meet and interact with notable personalities, including former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghanaian business executive and preacher Joyce Aryee, Nigerian music star Davido and American streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed, among others.

From drawing at her dining table to creating portraits for prominent personalities, Aewura Adjoa is now looking beyond her own success, with plans to establish an institution where upcoming artists can be trained and nurtured.

“I want to build an institution where I can train upcoming artists, because there are a lot of people who can draw but don't know how to make a career out of it. I want to be able to train them, guide them and help them understand that you can actually make a living from your art,” she revealed.