‘Be brave and get tested’ was the rousing call at the just ended Colour Cure art charity event held at the Art Africa Gallery, Osu on October 31.

Art Africa Gallery since 2022 has been championing breast cancer awareness and support using art made by women to raise funds for the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital towards the treatment of breast cancer.

The Founder and Chief Promoter of the Art Gallery, Kojo Choi, announced that 20% of proceeds from art pieces sold at the exhibition would be donated to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s Breast Cancer Unit.

He also added that as the gallery spreads its wings to other art markets like Kenya and hopefully, South Africa, he intends to continue championing women's art.

Rita Appiah-Danquah, a clinical psychologist from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s Breast Cancer Surgical Unit, speaking at the event noted that the donation that will be made to the Unit will not only go towards the treatment of breast cancer, but also towards the livelihood support of patients.

According to her, many breast cancer patients as a result of the illness have either lost their jobs, been abandoned by family and friends and are thus often destitute.

The funds, she says will enable such persons restart their lives and live meaningfully following their treatment.

Elsie Narh, a breast cancer survivor and nurse at the Trust Hospital, spoke about her personal ordeal with the illness.

She said had it not been for the support of her hospital and her strong Christian faith, she may have succumbed to death following her diagnosis.

She urged breast cancer patients not to give up faith and to be equally religious with their medications to survive the disease.

The United States’ Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, who was a guest at the event, called for comprehensive community engagement and sensitization as a way to combat breast cancer.

According to her, through holistic community health outreach programmes women can be trained to spot breast cancer symptoms early and seek professional treatment before the disease advances.

The exhibition

Art Africa Gallery’s Colour Cure art exhibition is a curation of women-only art pieces.

The exhibition brings to the fore female perspectives that have been generally underrepresented in Africa’s art scene.

It spans a variety of subjects, genres, and featured bold colours and interesting textures.

The exhibition includes vibrant works from Maitreyee Roy, Nyornuwofia Agorsor, Amerley Amartefio, Bernice A. Cooper, Marquessa Peprah, Eba Ussher, Afua Asabea Asare, Nana Frema, Vicki Adoe, Natashia Kuukua Arthur, Kati Torda, Sedinam Gbeku, Naa Anyemah Clottey and Dorothy Kyeraah.

The exhibition will be ongoing throughout the month of November.