Images, texts and colours
World-renowned intellectual, Julia Kristeva pioneered the term intertextuality, to describe a phenomenon whereby a text’s meaning becomes shaped by other texts. Applying her concept to stamps designed by Ghanaian artist Kofi Antubam (figure 1) in conjunction with his wider work, allows deeper cultural insights into their themes and meanings.
Antubam was born in 1922 when Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, was under British colonial rule. Placed under the guardianship of his uncle upon his father’s death, Kofi Antubam went to schools in Kumasi and Nigeria prior to enrolment at Adisadel College. Here his artistic talents and skill at
