One of Ghana’s finest disabled painters Joel Kwadwo Acheampong, will be staging his first solo exhibition of paintings at the Alliance Française in Kumasi this Thursday. Joel has no arms and can hardly do anything without being supported. He paints with brush in his mouth and in 2008 received a Grand Medal Award from ex-President Kufour as a role model for the physically disabled. His Manager, Mark Gyedi Nyante says the national honour in visual arts has exposed Joel to the world and built his confidence to paint spectacular pieces. Works on display will include African arts; village scenes, motifs like the Akan Adinkra woven into intellectual presentation and Joel will be on hand to explain the philosophy behind his paintings. Mr. Nyante is hoping the expressed interest in Joel’s works will inspire others and translate into higher patronage of artistic products. “They troop to our workshop every now and then, especially secondary school students when they come on excursion… and even foreigners come a lot. So each one who sees him work, becomes very fascinated”, Joel’s Manager told Luv Fm. The exhibition is dubbed: “When the mouth decides”. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana