‘We are preserving a tradition’: how Ghana’s sensationalist film posters became collectible art

Hand-painted film posters created by local artists became a distinctive feature of Ghanaian culture from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. These works were originally produced to advertise films at neighborhood venues called video clubs after organizers discovered that official movie posters failed to draw audiences. Artists working for competing video clubs developed a distinctive approach, treating film plots as loose inspiration for exaggerated, humorous, and surreal visual interpretations rather than literal adaptations.

The practice gradually declined around the turn of the century as household access to electricity, television sets, and video players increased, leading many video clubs to close. Despite this transition, the posters gained international recognition through books and foreign exhibitions, transforming them into valuable collectible items. Interest in newly produced posters remained dormant through much of the early 21st century before experiencing renewed demand driven by online sales channels and Western collectors.

Deadly Prey Gallery, established in 2012, has become instrumental in sustaining the tradition. The gallery was founded by Robert Kofi, a Ghanaian with childhood experience in video centers, and Brian Chankin, a former Chicago video rental store owner. The operation currently collaborates with 15 artists, including Heavy J, who has been painting posters for four decades. The gallery manages artist-customer connections and handles artwork distribution, with commissions typically starting at $600.

The artistic approach reflects an African tradition of visualizing the invisible, according to academics studying popular culture. Since audiences have not seen the films before viewing posters, artists employ exaggeration and imaginative embellishment to captivate viewers, sometimes incorporating elements entirely absent from the actual films. This sensationalist approach has occasionally led to confrontations when viewers discovered discrepancies between poster imagery and film content. Today, the posters serve both as functional marketing materials and as recognized art forms, representing a significant cultural preservation effort for Ghanaian artistic heritage.