Anita-Pearl Mwinnabang Ankor comes from Nandom in the Upper West Region.
She grew up in Accra starting her education at the University of Ghana Primary and Junior High School. Anita Pearl moved on to Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School before going on to study Agriculture Science Post Harvest Technology at the University of Ghana.
Her passion of what she does was influenced by her childhood quest to scribble on the wall, draw on furniture and do diagrams on blackboards. For now, it has nothing to do with her degree in Agriculture Science Post Harvest.
Anita-Pearl Mwinnabang Ankor is a female Ghanaian painter making the cash from having fun through her passion.
“I never studied art. I’ve never sat in an art class. I’ve always been a science student. With the art part, I feel it’s me wanting freedom and my passion for it that made me go into it,” Anita-Pearl tells Pulse.com.gh.
“Being a painter makes me feel free. It helps me gear my emotions into something better. My emotions make me create wonderful exceptional pieces,” she says.
Stereotypically, being a female painter in Ghana is not something seen on a regular basis. Anita-Pearl, also know as ‘The Female Painter’, however, has a process and sticks to it to make her breakthrough.
When Anita-Pearl gets a new client, she considers factors such as the space for the project, colours to be used and furniture or design in the space.
Despite being good at what she does, Anita-Pearl Mwinnabang Ankor sometimes has to prove herself with videos of her working to show she actually does the work.
“People assume I’m just a face of my company. They don’t believe I’m the one who actually stands on the ladder or scaffold to do the painting. I have to show video evidence of me working before they believe me,” she explains some of the challenges she goes through for what she does to Pulse.com.gh.
The female Ghanaian painter also narrates how guys she employs for projects sometimes want to undermine her authority because she is female. She has had to make some difficult decisions of firing non conformant.
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On how she started her business and the financial prospects, Anita-Pearl says she started small but now has a really busy schedule based on bookings.
“I started with my National Service money. I didn’t take a loan. Don’t wait for big money from somewhere. Just use what you have to start up,” the painter tells Pulse.com.gh.
“As at December last year I was fully booked till May. Now I’m booked till August. I get good money for what I do. I am a full-time painter right now.”
She plans to get a formal education in painter but is in no rush to do that.
“I want to get a degree in Fine Arts, painting to be specific. I believe education is not a race, so I will pursue it when I feel more comfortable.”
On what keeps her going and getting her design imprints around the walls of Ghana, Anita-Pearl simply goes with her guts. It channels her inner creative spirit to make great pieces.
“I love doing what my guts tell me to do. That way, I always come up with something unique, something that you wouldn’t see anywhere. When people are very specific, it limits me. It will work, it will be beautiful but that wouldn’t be me,” the painter said.