Mr. Kofi Adjei, an artist and a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Art of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has revealed that Cocoa is simply a culture, with its production linked to religion, education, economics, politics, social integration and nation building.

He stated this at an exhibition dubbed ‘A Thousand Golden Pods’, held at the Golden Bean Hotel, Kumasi. Mr. Kofi Adjei crafted over one thousand pieces of cocoa pods in clay, fired and finished them in different forms which were displayed on the staircase of Golden Bean Hotel.

According to the artist, the reason why he chose Golden Bean Hotel as the venue was the theme, which relates to the hotel’s own history and its association with cocoa as Ghana’s major foreign exchange earner.

Speaking at the exhibition, the artist said his experience of growing up in a cocoa community coupled with his personal experience of owning a cocoa farm has been the driving force behind the cocoa exhibition. The maiden exhibition, he said, is the beginning of a project which seeks to bring the art of cocoa production to the doorstep of Ghanaians for appreciation, education and academic discourse.

Giving more information on cocoa, he stated that cocoa is an international name and occupies the realm of currency and political commodity. He added that throughout Ghana’s history, cocoa has been the driving force for political decisions and discourse.

The cocoa exhibition explores cocoa processing culture with the focus on pod gatherings. It also interprets cocoa production in Ghana and sets out to connect with the history of cocoa production in Ghana.

Mr. Adjei hopes that the exhibition would raise the discourse and debate on the role of cocoa in integration, cultural sustainability and economic development of Ghana.