Ghanaian self-taught artist Samuel Kobina Blankson, professionally known as Themanyphacedgod, has built his artistic practice around the different ways people experience and understand themselves. He works across neo expressionism, surrealism and contemporary figurative painting, using distorted figures, fractured faces, symbols and words to explore identity, memory, transformation and the experiences that shape us.

His paintings are not straightforward representations of reality. Faces break apart, bodies become distorted and symbols appear within the compositions, giving the work an emotional quality that goes beyond what is immediately visible.

“I paint to make you feel you were part of the moment I froze.”

That statement captures much of Blankson’s approach. He is interested in preserving a feeling or atmosphere rather than simply recording an event. Each painting becomes a moment held in place, allowing an experience that might otherwise disappear to remain visible.

The decision to pursue art was also a personal one. Growing up in Ghana, Blankson initially faced expectations to pursue law or ministry, but he eventually chose art and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Education, Winneba. Since then, he has continued developing his practice independently through experimentation, intuition and lived experience.

Identity remains one of the strongest subjects in Blankson’s work. He sees people as carrying different versions of themselves, shaped by childhood, migration, memory, joy, grief and survival.

“My practice invites dialogue around identity, multiplicity, and transformation, creating space for people to encounter different versions of themselves.”

This is where the distorted figures become particularly important. They allow Blankson to move away from physical resemblance and focus more closely on internal experience. A face does not have to look realistic to communicate something about the person behind it.

His use of abstraction also means viewers are not given one fixed interpretation. Someone can encounter a painting through their own experiences and find something different from what another viewer sees.

Blankson’s approach to identity is also reflected in his attitude towards perfection. He does not see a completely polished painting as the ultimate goal, preferring to leave room for marks, corrections, layers and unresolved forms to remain visible.

“Perfection feels static. It cannot be continued.”

For Blankson, those elements become part of the story of the painting rather than things that need to be hidden. The work is allowed to show traces of how it came together.

Blankson also brings handwritten phrases, words and recurring symbols into his paintings. He describes these elements as vessels of memory and shared knowledge, almost like visual proverbs whose meanings can unfold gradually.

A viewer may notice the image first and only later discover a phrase or symbol that changes how the piece is understood. It gives the work another layer without requiring Blankson to explain everything directly.

Now based in London, the artist continues to develop a body of work that connects his personal history with experiences of migration, resilience, silence and emotional freedom. His environment has changed, but the subjects that have shaped his practice remain present.

“When I paint, I want you to feel you made it when you’re watching.”

For Themanyphacedgod, the painting may begin with a moment that belongs to him, but the viewer gets to bring something of their own to it. That is where the frozen moment becomes something more than a personal memory.

Written by Kwaw Blay Apprey