Paa Joe

Master craftsman Paa Joe is known for his figurative fantasy coffins that embody Ghanaian traditions and beliefs about life and death. Known as abeduu adeka, or “proverb boxes,” these end-of-life vessels take the form of an array of living and inanimate objects, from sea creatures to cars to Air Jordans. Paa Joe’s wooden coffins are utilitarian, but he has quickly gained recognition within the institutional art world. In 1989, his work was featured in the “Magiciens de la Terre” exhibit at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2018, his coffins were shown at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Born Joseph Tetteh-Ashong, Paa Joe has painted more than 2,000 coffins in his lifetime and trained young artists in this distinct art form. He operates his own coffin production business, Paa Joe Coffin Works, in Pobimanin Greater Accra.