News
Tanaka Africa Home Decor is a Social Enterprise with a Social Mission
We have done a lot of thinking lately about the vision and mission for Tanaka Africa. It is a social business, that is, it’s a for-profit business with a social mission. We looked up the term “social enterprise”: “a cause-driven business whose primary reason for being is to improve social objectives and serve the common good. A social enterprise exists to achieve a social mission—such as providing healthcare or safe drinking water for the poor, creating jobs for the unemployed or advancing education initiatives”. This definition resonates for us. The Good Trade's What is a Social Enterprise? explains that “although profits are...
Tanaka Africa Home Decor reminds consumers of "Trade not Aid".
Hello, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Adu Amoah and I am the founder of Tanaka Africa Home Decor, a social enterprise that culturally enriches homes by imbuing them with the ambiance and nuanced stories of Africa with handmade art home decor while honouring the artisans who make them. As we know art is a universal language that connects across cultures and communicates in a visceral and emotional tone that all can understand. Art invites us to reflect on which stories we choose to value and privilege and which narratives we choose to exclude and ignore. Africa’s...
Tanaka Africa Home Decor reflects on "Ancestral Journeys" to Ghana, West Africa.
2019 was the Year of Return marking 400 years since the first African slaves "left the continent"; Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, director of the Creative Arts Council, Ghana told the world in an the The Guardian's article 'Ghana have a good time: top tips for visiting the country' "it is the perfect time for black people across the world to come to Ghana and start their ancestral journey." He explained that the 2019 Year of Return is a "celebration of our culture and heritage, but there’s history to soak up, too. A trip to Elmina Castle is a must. A few hours drive from Accra, it...
Tanaka Africa Home Decor acknowledges that in 2017 Ghana celebrated 60 years of independence.
In 2017 Ghana celebrated 60 years of independence by opening an arts hub (ANO). The hub is named after the Akan language word for "old woman" who is “the first human being and origin of all things”. ANO is the first arts institution of its kind in Ghana–a multi-purpose art space in its capital city, Accra, combining two exhibition rooms, a screening and performance area, a library and a bookshop as well as a multidisciplinary residency program. ANO has become a home for Ghana's creatives and artists. It was founded by art historian, writer, curator and film-maker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim in 2002 as a cultural research...
Tanaka Africa showcases how "Ghana Will Be Africa's Art Hub", says gallerist Adora Mba.
With interest in African artists booming, Adora Mba opened ADA \ contemporary art gallery in Accra, Ghana in 2020. She intended for the space serve to serve as an art incubator for the emerging artists from the African continent. Mba, an African art advisor and editor conveys optimism about Ghana's long term prospects regarding its art "I am confident that Ghana will grow to become the new art hub of Africa. Looking at the most prominent artists these days, many are from Ghana – the talent is clearly there and waiting on a much-anticipated attention" Adora Mba Mba strongly expresses her conviction: "I...