Joseph Kossivi Ahiator

Joseph Kossivi Ahiator (born 1956) is an African politician and Ghanaian artist known for his temple mural paintings in Bénin, Ghana, and Togo. He is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a former Member of Parliament for the Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Biography
Joseph Kossivi Ahiator was born in 1956 in Aflao, Ghana. His primary focus in the concepts of his artwork are the ocean, as well as the Mami Wata spirit, Indian Spirits, and other Vodu Gods that come from and are connected to the sea. He believes his interest in the sea derives from his frequent visits to India and the fact that he was born with Indian spirits from the Mami Wata pantheon. Due to this, many of his temple paintings can have the same figures or imagery that demonstrate the link between India, Africa, and the seas. Dan Aida Wedo, the rainbow serpent Vodu is one reoccurring spirit.

Politics
Joseph Kossivi Ahiator is currently a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was formerly a member of Parliament for the Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region of Ghana from 2009-2017. In addition, he was the Minister of state in charge of tertiary education from 2009-2013.

Art
Ahiator's Vodun imagery and content can be seen as a reflection of globalization seeing as it demonstrates the connection between India and Africa. Although the artist feels a personal spiritual connection between the two, his art is symbolic of the connection between cultures through tangible things like cloth consumption, and the trading networks of south Asian merchants that allowed for a literal connection, and therefore a spiritual one.

Artworks
"India Spirits" 1996

This wall mural piece made with reference to Hindu chromolithographs features Dan Aida Wedo, the rainbow serpent vodu, arching over the entire top to encapsulate Indian inspired imagery as well as Mami Wata spirits to signify a unification or joining. The qualities of the rainbow serpent vodu that he chose to demonstrate this are meaningful because Dan Aida Wedo is regenerative and full of life.

"King of Mami Wata" 2005

This artwork was inspired by a dream as well as a print that Ahiator had seen in the past. He dreamt he was swimming with an Indian king spirit that had nineteen heads and his queen who had nine heads. He named the King in his dream the King of Mami Wata and the queen he named NaKrishna. He had also seen an Indian print with a nineteen headed spirit in 1977 that served as inspiration for his work. This piece was a commission for Dana Rush and was painted on cloth.

"Maman Tchamba and Tchamba Temple Mural" 1970

This piece placed near Lomé, Togo was Ahiator's first of many Tchamba temple murals in Benin, Ghana, and Togo. This one features an image of a Maman Tchamba and a Tchamba; a mother with a bowl of kola nuts being handed off to her son. These nuts were commonly known to suppress hunger, thirst, and fatigue and served as a symbol of the northern Muslims.

Exhibitions
Joseph Kossivi Ahiator's work is mainly temple paintings, so many of his works could be considered as public exhibitions; however, the artist does not have record of official public exhibitions.

Collections
Ahiator's work, "Indian King of Mami Wata", is currently in possession of the Fowler Museum at UCLA

Many beautiful Tchamba temple murals still stand to be seen scattered art all throughout Benin, Togo, and Ghana