Boafo's journey from humble beginnings in Accra to becoming a highly sought-after artist is a true rags to riches story. His portraits of black subjects, often painted with his fingertips, now sell for seven figures at auctions. He has even had the opportunity to exhibit his work in space by adorning Jeff Bezos's rocket ship. Boafo is part of a talented group of artists from West Africa who support and acknowledge each other's abilities.

Born in 1984, Boafo taught himself to paint while his mother was at work. He initially showed promise as a tennis player and supported himself for a few years playing semi-professionally. It was only after someone offered to pay his tuition fees that he had the chance to attend art school. Boafo's breakthrough came when his paintings were discovered on Instagram by Kehinde Wiley, the artist known for his portrait of former US President Barack Obama. Wiley's support inspired Boafo to form relationships and share experiences with fellow artists and creatives.

I had the opportunity to meet Boafo at his studio in Accra, which is located in a three-story building designed by architect Sir David Adjaye. Boafo's rapid rise in the art world has seen his paintings go from selling for £100 in Ghana to being exhibited internationally and attracting high bids. Museums and collectors have realized the lack of representation of black artists in their collections, leading to increased demand for Boafo's work. Despite the pressure that comes with success, Boafo is grateful for the opportunity to impact the lives of others in his community through his residency program.

Boafo has contributed a self-portrait to an exhibition called "In and Out of Time" at Gallery 1957 in Accra. The painting, created with his fingertips, depicts the artist from the back with his arms raised. Boafo prefers painting over talking about his art and finds activities outside of the studio less exciting, except for playing tennis. His work has been recognized for capturing the relationship between traditional portraiture and the social media age.

Original news source: Amoako Boafo – the Ghanaian artist who has exhibited in space (BBC)

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and take on the roles of a news reporter and Amoako Boafo. The reporter interviews Boafo about his life, career, and the recent exhibition of his work. Students should use information from the article but also improvise additional details to create a more engaging and realistic interview. Afterward, switch roles.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about art and representation based on the article (e.g., "Artists of color have sufficient representation in galleries worldwide."). Students walk around the class and poll their classmates to agree or disagree with each statement. Gather the results and have a class discussion about the differing opinions and how they relate to Amoako Boafo's experiences.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide students with a list of keywords from the article (e.g., "self-portrait," "Ghana," "finger painting," "tennis," "Instagram"). Students pick a word and have a limited time to sketch a representation of it. Their peers then guess the word based on the sketch. This activity will help reinforce vocabulary and understanding of the article's content.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Ask students to write a compelling headline for a news article about Amoako Boafo's life and career. Encourage them to make it catchy and reflective of the article's content. Share the headlines and discuss which ones are the most effective and why.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Discuss the current state of Amoako Boafo's art career and his impact on the art community. Then, have students write a short paragraph predicting where they see Boafo's career in the next five years. Encourage them to use future tense structures and to base their predictions on the information from the article and general trends in art and society. Share and compare predictions.

Amoako Boafo, a ? artist who has ? immense popularity in the art world, has returned to his home country where one of his self-portraits is being exhibited. Despite his success, Boafo is not fond of ?. He never intended to ? an artist and only started drawing as a hobby with his friends. Growing up, he never realized that portraiture was a form of art that artists of color could pursue. The recognition and praise he has received from renowned galleries like Larry Gagosian have been overwhelming for him. Boafo's journey from humble beginnings in Accra to becoming a highly sought-after artist is a true rags to riches story. His portraits of black ?, often painted with his fingertips, now sell for seven figures at ?. He has even had the opportunity to exhibit his work in space by adorning Jeff Bezos's rocket ship. Boafo is part of a talented group of ? from West Africa who support and acknowledge each other's abilities. Born in 1984, Boafo taught himself to paint while his mother was at work. He initially showed promise as a tennis player and supported himself for a few ? playing semi-professionally. It was only after someone offered to pay his tuition fees that he had the chance to attend art school. Boafo's breakthrough came when his paintings were discovered on Instagram by Kehinde Wiley, the artist known for his portrait of former US President Barack Obama. Wiley's support inspired Boafo to form relationships and share experiences with fellow artists and creatives. I had the opportunity to meet Boafo at his studio in Accra, which is located in a three-story building designed by architect Sir David Adjaye. Boafo's rapid rise in the art ? has seen his ? go from selling for £100 in ? to being exhibited internationally and attracting high bids. Museums and collectors have realized the lack of representation of black artists in their collections, ? to increased demand for Boafo's work. Despite the pressure that comes with success, Boafo is grateful for the ? to impact the ? of others in his community through his residency program. Boafo has ? a self-portrait to an exhibition called "In and Out of Time" at Gallery 1957 in Accra. The painting, created with his fingertips, depicts the artist from the back with his arms raised. Boafo prefers painting over talking about his art and finds activities outside of the studio less exciting, except for playing tennis. His work has been recognized for capturing the ? between traditional portraiture and the social media age.

1. What is your definition of a "rags to riches" story, and can you share an example you know of, either from real life or fiction?
2. How would you feel if your hobby unexpectedly turned into a successful career?
3. Do you think it's important for artists to have formal education in art, or can talent alone be enough? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever discovered a talent you had by accident, much like Boafo discovered his passion for painting?
5. What role do you think social media plays in the discovery and promotion of artists today?
6. Do you like the idea of art being exhibited in unconventional places, such as space? Why or why not?
7. How do you think the support of a well-known figure in one's field can impact an individual's success?
8. Do you believe that representation of all races in art and culture is important? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if your work suddenly received overwhelming attention and praise from renowned figures in your industry?
10. What is your opinion on artists using unusual methods, like painting with fingertips, to create their work?
11. Do you think the pressure that comes with success can change a person's passion for their craft? Why or why not?
12. Have you ever supported or been part of a community that acknowledges and supports each other's abilities, similar to the group of West African artists Boafo is part of?
13. Do you prefer to express yourself through creative means like painting, or do you find other forms of expression more fulfilling?
14. How important do you think it is for successful individuals to give back to their community, as Boafo does through his residency program?
15. What is your impression of the role of portraiture in today's society, especially with the influence of social media?

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