1990s Sacrifice | Original Ghanaian Hand-Painted Movie Banner
DESCRIPTION
A sensational vision of supernatural horror, this original Ghanaian cinema poster transforms Sacrifice into an unforgettable spectacle of serpentine creatures, monstrous figures, and vivid color. Painted by the artist Mr. Brew for SHARP VIDEO, the work features an extraordinary combination of fantasy imagery and dramatic theatrical exaggeration, all set against a brilliant yellow background framed in purple.
Beginning in the 1980s, traveling cinema operators and video clubs throughout Ghana commissioned local artists to create large advertisements for films screened on portable video equipment. Rather than reproduce conventional movie advertisements, these painters frequently reinvented their subjects, introducing fantastic creatures, violent encounters, and supernatural elements intended to attract paying audiences. The resulting posters developed into a distinctive form of West African popular art.
Hand-painted on recycled flour-sack cloth, this example retains original commercial printing on the reverse, identifying a Ghanaian flour manufacturer in Tema. The poster bears Mr. Brew's signature and the name SHARP VIDEO, connecting the painting to the artists and exhibitors who sustained Ghana's traveling cinema industry. Extensive folding, abrasions, and areas of paint loss give the work the unmistakable character of a heavily handled theatrical advertisement. Its exuberant imagery and richly worn surface make it an especially compelling example of this celebrated artistic tradition.
CONDITION
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