“A Day In The Life” with photographer, Kwasi Kyei

Many people trust Kwasi Kyei immediately. Born and raised in Ghana, he once approached Anderson Cooper in the Cape Coast Castle, of course, he agreed to pose for photos. Most people do.

Kwasi Kyei is quite a risk-taker who pushes himself outside his comfort zone. He is a shy and private person and you will need to ask him a few direct questions to hear his refined voice and learn what’s on his mind. His ideas are worth waiting for and are always delivered in a thoughtful way. Kwasi’s laughter comes easily and the ripples can change the tone of any room.

He arrived in Canada in 2018 and we are very lucky that he wants to live in Toronto. He misses his family and holds their values near. Kwasi Kyei oozes artistic sensibilities in the way he clothes his 6’4” frame and reveals the beauty that surrounds us by capturing them with his lens.

His formal education is in Film and Television Production and Kwasi’s mind works overtime to create stories from real life. Informally, he is a lifelong learner. He’s focused and patient and can do anything he decides to do.

Written by Elizabeth Verwey – friend and mentor

Kwasi Kyei
The Free Wednesday Nights at the AGO.
Kwasi Kyei
Life imitating art, art imitating life – seen at Ontario Place Marina.
Art springs forth from the heart, from whence it resides (soaking in Sandra Brewster’s installation, ‘DENSE’, at the Fleck Clerestory – Photographed by Junior Harrison).
Oftentimes when the day has broken but the blinds remain lowered, I’d take a moment to reflect, collecting myself for the new day ahead. I’d then reach for my phone to check what I’d missed while I slept; Ma’s prayer texts, family/friends/group chats, emails, calendar reminders…
Ablutions
Kwasi Kyei
Sometimes yoga, oftentimes stretching.
At times ‘garri and shitɔ’ (cassava granules and hot black pepper sauce) for the homesickness.
Kwasi Kyei
I seek and often find works of art dotted across the city. Seen here in Kensington, a butterfly or the ‘dwennimben’ (the adinkra symbol depicting the horns of a ram), a certain reminder about strength in humility and vice versa.

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Which ‘hood are you in?

The Garden District, Toronto!

What do you do?

Aside from photography, I like to think of the work I do as ‘tweeting for a living’, as it were, usually about photography, film, music, mining and the likes.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently involved in a few gigs, supporting a small handful of musicians from Ghana as well as a few Canadian SMEs (like Spoken Lives) with social media and digital marketing.

Where can we find your work?

I keep my Instagram and Twitter accounts updated with black and white photographs – find me @iamkwasikyei and look out for my #TorontoChronicles photo series. During the month of May 2022, you can find my work as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, presented by Black Artists’ Networks In Dialogue (BAND). The exhibit, HONAM: An Akan Word for Body, is curated by Courtnay McFarlane in partnership with Legacies in Motion: Black Queer Archival Project. It can be viewed in full at the Meridian Arts Centre and a public art installation of eight images from my Beach Boys series will also be on display outside of BAND Gallery in Parkdale.

 

 

About Demian Vernieri 587 Articles
Demian is an Argentinian retired musician, avid gamer and editor for the Montréal Guardian, Toronto Guardian, Calgary Guardian and Vancouver Guardian websites.