Why are Kane Kwei’s figurative coffins famous?

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raffia-fiber cloth — African art Raffia-fiber cloth, made by the Kuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, mid-20th century; in the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Kane Kwei’s figurative coffins are famous for their imaginative and highly ornamental designs, which are crafted in the shapes of various objects such as hens, cocoa pods, airplanes, and Mercedes Benzes.1

Created for wealthy Ghanaian patrons, these unique structures gained international attention and acclaim, notably following their inclusion in the 1989 "Magiciens de la Terre" exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Despite Kwei’s lack of formal artistic training, his work remains globally recognized for its creativity and its role in capturing the attention of the international art world.1