Saying Goodbye

The pictures above are examples of work by Ghanian coffin makers that blur the line between art and craft. There is an exhibition at the Jack Bell Gallery in London (www.jackbellgallery.com) showing the work of Paa Joe, one of the foremost artist (or craftsmen depending on your viewpoint) working in this tradition. His work is collected privately and publicly....the British Museum has examples of his work.To me, this tradition demonstrates a lively and vibrant celebration for the life and work of the departed.

This last picture was taken at the City of London Cemetery and obviously marks a child's grave. This style of grave is termed a lawn grave and was originally developed to reduce maintenance and increase burial space by use of a simple headstone. This can be impersonal, restricting the mourners to a few lively words on the headstone. In the instance above, the colour and imagery of the train, celebrate a life in the same vibrant way as Paa Joe's work. It also shows, for some, that lawn graves are insufficient and more needs to be said and done for the departed.